


Her

by essencede



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Blackmail, F/F, Flirting, Insecurity, Internalized Homophobia, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Slow Burn, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-06-26 10:03:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19765927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/essencede/pseuds/essencede
Summary: Clementine Everette a quiet photographer, falls for the fiery singer, Minerva Leigh. Clementine pines for Minerva,  until she gets to know Minerva's girlfriend, Violet Adlon.





	1. Chapter 1

Clementine watches as Minerva sings passionately. Her eyes seem to sparkle in the bright light placed on the band. Her face contorts, expressing her sadness. Her crystal eyes meet Clementine's own honey ones and her heart skips a beat. Her lips curve into a smile just making eye contact with the musician. 

Her friend, Louis rolls his eyes at that. He's only here for his friends, Clem and Marlon. Not for Minerva. God, he doesn't see what Clementine does. A year ago, he once would've understood, when he was friends with Minerva. Then, she started dating Violet and it went downhill from there. He hates seeing both Violet and Clementine falling for this girl, who doesn't deserve either of them. 

He keeps quiet, puts on a small smile for his friend, Marlon. Instead of paying attention to Minerva, he watches Marlon play guitar with a focused expression on his face. 

Clementine gushes, grabbing her camera and taking pictures. She gets a few of Minerva, wearing her ripped jeans and tight fitting grey shirt. Clementine captures one of her smiling at the camera. Then, she starts taking pictures of the band and the rest of its members. 

The band plays for around twelve minutes, getting cheering from the small restaurant's patrons. Louis glances over at Violet, who sits with Brody and Sophie. She wears a proud smile and he aches for her. He looks away and back to the stage as Minerva holds her final note. 

Minerva closes her eyes and stops, making the whole place fill with cheers. She smiles at the audience, thanking them with her raspy voice. Clementine smiles and almost squeals at the sight of Minerva smiling. Louis almost gags, seeing how the girl's eyes dilate at the sight of the redhead. 

Violet and the rest of the girls then walk over to the table. Clementine notices Violet. She has to, pining for her girlfriend. Violet's a lucky girl, Clementine thinks. She looks at Violet and decides that Minerva is also a lucky girl. No wonder they're together. Violet glances over to her and Clementine gives her a shy smile. Violet just looks away and then back to Louis.

"Are you here for Marlon?" she asks and Louis nods.

"That a problem?" he questions and she glances to Clementine. 

"You're not a problem," she replies quietly and he rolls his eyes. "Sorry," she apologizes and lets out a sigh.

"Bye," Sophie says, waving to the two.

"See you two," Brody says.

"Bye," Violet says, waving at Louis before giving a shy smile to Clementine. 

"You do not want to date Minerva, Clem," Louis advises, glancing to the teen.

"I know. I can't because of Violet—"

"No, it's not because of Vi, it's because of Minerva," he says and she rolls her eyes.

"Lou, stop," she says, hitting his arm lightly. "I'm not going to go after her. I wish I could, though."

"Clem, you didn't move here before Vi and Minerva started dating. You didn't get to see what that did to the both of them."

"What do you mean?" Clementine questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Minnie...She doesn't know to be in a relationship. Violet's life now basically revolves around her. That's also why you barely know Violet, why she's never around," Louis says and Clementine furrows her eyebrows. "Just avoid Minnie. She isn't someone you want to be around. Not anymore."

"Vi," Brody begins, turning around in her seat to face Violet. "Clem isn't like that. She's not going to steal Minnie."

"Maybe not, but she still has this big crush on her. I just, I-I don't like it," Violet says, shaking her head. 

"You don't have to. I get it. I wouldn't be too happy if some girl was crushing on Mitch, but still, you should get to know Clem. She probably likes Minnie, like a fan would. She really likes the band," Sophie defends her. 

"How are things with Minnie anyway?" Brody asks and Sophie glances over to her.

"The same," Violet replies with a shrug. "Actually, maybe not completely."

"What do you mean?" Brody asks, beginning to fidget with her hands.

"The new bass guitarist also seems to like Minnie a lot. I trust Minnie, but I don't trust that girl," Violet replies, crossing her arms. 

"Beth?" Sophie asks and Violet nods.

"Yeah, her." 

"Yeah, I don't really know about her," Brody replies, before biting her lip. 

"I know she has feelings for Minnie," Violet confesses, playing with the loose piece of string on her jeans. 

"I could see that happening," Sophie admits, glancing over to Brody before looking back at the road. 

"No, she is. I know she is. It's so obvious."

Violet fidgets even more, her stomach churning. Her chest aches at the thought. Minerva can't be like everyone else. She won't let Beth or Clementine separate them. She purses her lips and stares at the window. 

"Brody, can I stay at your place?" Violet asks, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice.

"Of course," Brody replies with a smile, glancing back at the blonde.

The blonde looks so small, all curled up in her seat. The blonde continues to look out the window and doesn't meet Brody's eyes. At a red light, Sophie looks at Brody with worry written all over her features.

Clementine sits with Louis in the back of the class. There's a countdown until the last day of school written on the board. Louis and her share headphones, with some music she doesn't know playing in her ear. He texts on his phone, probably to Marlon. Clementine loses herself in her thoughts, glancing over to Minerva. She's talking to that girl, Beth. She's messing with her hair and smirking. 

Clementine wonders if Louis is right, or if that's his protectiveness of his friends taking over. Minerva catches her staring and gives her a smirk, that seems almost flirtatious. Clementine smiles back, forgetting about her thoughts for a second. Minnie then looks back at Beth.

"Really?" Clementine meets Louis's eyes. "I saw that, Clem."

"Sorry," she apologizes sheepishly, her right hand going to fidget with her earring. 

"I don't want to say anything personal about Violet, it's her story to tell, but just know that anything involving Minerva is not good," he says, glancing back at the girl and then to Clementine.

"You already said this. Don't worry, Lou. I won't go after her."

"And that should include being friends with her, Clem. I can't tell you what to do, but please listen to me," he says, meeting her eyes and keeping her gaze. 

She studies his face. He's being completely serious. She nods her head and he gives her a small smile. He taps his foot nervously and skips the current song. He fidgets, picking at his nails. Clementine watches him, having nothing else to do. 

"Hey," he says, getting her attention. "Why don't I introduce you to Violet? You two would get along."

"Why is this coming up all of a sudden?" She raises her eyebrows. 

"Violet and Minerva...They're not...Um. Minnie is spending more time with her band, so Violet has more free time," Louis says quietly, glancing back to the loud girls a few rows in front of them. 

"Are you sure we'll get along? She didn't seem to like me a lot the other night. She smiled at me, but I could tell it was forced." 

"Yeah, she just doesn't like that you have a little crush on her girlfriend."

"Lou!" Clementine raises her voice before quieting down. Her face becomes a little pink. "How does she know?"

"How could Vi not? Do you see the way you look at her? The fact you go to every show. It's obvious, Clem," he replies, shaking his head.

"Shit."

"Yeah," Louis replies, rolling his eyes. "Now, about you meeting Violet, like actually meeting her, are you free today?"

"I pick up AJ from school, but apart from that, yeah. My dad shouldn't mind me hanging out with anybody," she says.

"Yeah, Lee's always like that," he replies with a smile. "So, I'm giving Violet a ride today and she's staying at my place, why don't you join?"

"Are you sure it'll be okay? Since she knows about my...situation?"

"Yeah, it should be. I can also pick up AJ and drop him off at a friend's?"

"He can stay in your basement for a while. You have a bunch of stuff to do down there. We can hang out upstairs. That sound good?" 

"Yeah, sounds perfect." 

The bell rings and Clementine hands him his earphone back. They part ways, her going to lunch and him to gym. On his way, Brody sees him and is immediately at his side.

"Minnie's being such an idiot right now," Brody says, before covering her face with one of her hands.

"Is it about that new band member?" Brody nods.

"I saw them making out in the bathroom," Brody confesses before covering her mouth.

"Is she still dating Vi?" Brody nods again. "That bitch."

"I know. She's going to be heartbroken. Fuck. She was so happy, now she'll be just like her old self," Brody says, on the verge of tears. "And now her dad is getting worse, Lou."

"I know, I know. She's staying with me tonight. I'll make sure she's okay."

They walk over to the lockers. Louis lets out a frustrated sigh. Fucking Minerva.

"Why can't things go right for her? Why can't Minnie just be a good girlfriend?" Brody mutters to herself, on the verge of kicking one of the lockers.

"I know, I know. Fuck."

"Do we tell Vi? I think we should," Brody stresses, placing her hand on her hip. 

She glances over to her phone. She could send a text. She should say it in person, but she doesn't have any more classes with Violet. Violet should know as soon as possible.

"I honestly don't know," Louis replies, rubbing his bottom lip nervously. "Um, I'll talk to you later. We can figure out when we should tell her."

"Okay," Brody replies before walking away. 

Louis walks into the locker room, looking incredibly tired. Marlon glances over to his best friend. Louis tries to muster up a smile, but Marlon sees right through it.

"What's wrong?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you sure about this?" Clementine asks Louis as they walk out of their final period. 

"It'll be fine."

"She hates me," Clementine says, meeting his eyes and he shakes his head.

"No, Vi doesn't. She just doesn't like that you're into Minnie," he says and her cheeks turn pink.

"It's going to be awkward." Clementine sighs. 

"Don't worry about it," he tries to assure her, putting on a smile. 

They walk to the student parking lot. Clementine fidgets with her dark curls. She left her hair down today. Once they see Louis's car, Violet can already be seen. She's scrolling through something on her phone. She purses her lips. She wears a t-shirt of some old band and jean shorts. She wears mascara and once Violet looks up, Clementine notices how long her eyelashes are. 

Damn. 

Violet looks at Louis, avoiding eye contact with Clementine. She places one of her hands on her hip and raises her eyebrows, looking for answer. He gives her a sheepish smile and puts an arm around Clementine. 

"Hey, Vi. This is Clementine," he says with his usual cheery voice.

"Hi," she says, giving a small wave to Clementine before pulling on the car door handle.

He unlocks the door and she gets in. She tosses her bag in the seat next to her and checks her texts again. 

Clementine glances to Louis, standing in place.

"I told you it'd be awkward," she says, shaking her head and giving him a small smile.

"It's really not," he assures, rolling his eyes.

"Are you guys getting in the car or what?" Violet asks as she rolls down the windows of the hot car. 

"Sorry," Clementine quietly apologizes and walks around to the other side of the car. 

Louis places his bag next to Violet's and then gets in. He starts up the car and puts on some music. Clementine fidgets with her string bag, tapping her foot along to the beat of the nineties pop rock song. She loves hanging out with Louis, but she can tell this time will be an awkward one. 

She glances back and sees Violet absorbed in her phone. Her eyebrows are furrowed and she vigorously types out a text. She glances up to Clementine and they hold eye contact for a second.

"Do you guys know where Minerva is? Especially you, super fan." Clementine flushes at the name and turns to the front of the car.

"No idea," Clementine replies sheepishly.

"Haven't seen her." Louis tenses up.

Clementine notices his jaw clench and the way he stiffens. She doesn't comment on it and looks back out the window.

"Damn it," Violet replies, letting out a grunt and shutting off her phone. 

"Is she answering?" Louis asks, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel at a red light.

"No, she's not." Violet sighs, wiping some mascara from underneath her eye. "She's probably with that girl. Fucking Beth."

"The bass guitarist?" Clementine asks.

She remembers class; Minerva and Beth were laughing. It almost seemed as if they were flirting. Clementine wouldn't be surprised. Despite having a girlfriend, Minerva can be a bit flirtatious. Apparently, it's part of her character on stage. She's confident and flirtatious, but Clementine assumes she isn't like this just on stage or around fans.

"Yeah, her," Violet snaps, shaking her head.

Clementine notices how upset Violet is, how she begins to curl up. Clementine looks back up, trying not to stare. She glances back and watches the girl chew her lip. She looks almost on the verge of tears, her eyes scanning her screen. The blonde notices and shoots her a look, almost a glare.

"Sorry," Clementine mumbles before looking onto her phone.

There's an awkward silence, with only the music playing filling it. Louis turns up the music a little, humming to himself. Clementine can't help but wonder if Louis is right. She wonders what Violet is going through. Why is she so stressed out about Minerva and Beth? Does she not trust Minerva? 

Deciding to change the topic and lighten the mood, Clementine says, "Are we picking up AJ?"

"Yeah, but we still have thirty minutes. Do you guys want to get coffee?"

"If you want, Lou," Violet replies softly.

"Sure," Clementine replies with a small smile.

To ease the tension, Louis turns up some music and starts singing loudly. Clementine giggles as he tries to get her join in. 

"C'mon, Vi!" He says, looking back at her.

She just smirks, rolling her eyes. Clementine turns back and continues to laugh. The awkwardness seems to melt away until the song finishes and they arrive at the small shop. Louis parks close to the entrance and jogs to the door to hold it open for the girls.

There's a small line of four people ahead of them, giving them a chance to think over their orders. Louis pulls out his wallet, already making the decision to pay. He suggested the idea, so he might as well. Once Violet decides, she glances over to Louis's hand with the wallet and shakes her head.

"Lou, you don't have to pay." She knows him too well.

"It's my treat. Besides, I suggested the idea," Louis assures with a smile, making her roll her eyes.

"I should treat you. I stay at your house every every night for Christ's sake," she says, shaking her head.

"Because I want you to stay with me. You don't owe me a thing." He waves his hand dismissively. 

"I'll pay," Clementine says, pulling out her wallet and he shakes his head.

"No, you will not. Should I get AJ anything?" he asks as he glances up at the menus.

"Lou, you don't have to. I'll pay for AJ's and my stuff," she assures and he sighs.

"Let's all go out to dinner or something and you can make it up to me then," he proposes and the girls sigh. 

"Fine," they reply almost in unison.

Louis smiles. "And it has to be a dinner with the both of you."

"Why do we both need to be there?" Violet questions, placing a hand on her hip.

"You guys are both my best friends. Sounds like a good dinner to me. You guys can continue to get to know each other." The girls glance to one another. Clementine chuckles and shrugs.

"Okay. I'm up for it," Clementine gives in.

"Me, too," Violet gives in, shaking her head again. 

The three of them order and Louis pays. He feels accomplished when he sees the girls sit next to each other in a booth. He takes the seat across from them. He drums his fingers against the table. Violet checks her phone again and squints at the text. Her face becomes blank and her eyebrows furrow. She sighs and places her phone down. She sips at her coffee, looking defeated.

"What's wrong?" Louis questions and she shows him the text. He reads it over once and then twice. 

Minnie: i'm with beth! dw about it vi!

"Fucking Minerva," he says, making Clementine raise her eyebrows. 

"It's fine. It's just that Beth girl—"

"Is into Minnie," Louis finishes and Violet pauses, looking over Louis's face. 

She raises an eyebrow, getting a feeling he's hiding something. She keeps quiet and nods her head. 

"They could just be friends," Clementine tries to add, noticing how tense Violet has become.

"They are, but I'm pretty sure Beth is coming onto her," Violet says, her eyebrows scrunched up.

"Or Minnie," Louis adds and both the girls raise their eyebrows.

"What?" Violet asks, looking for him to repeat his statement. 

"You know how Minerva is—"

"That's just how she is on stage and everything. She's very outgoing, Lou, she's not a cheater. I know you don't trust her, but don't say that," Violet says, looking pained. She doesn't look angry at Louis; she looks more on the verge of tears. Clementine sees the same face she saw in the car.

"Did you invite me over your house to say that shit? Do you want me to break up with Minnie so Clementine here can have her?" She insinuates and Clementine jumps. 

"No, no, Vi," he says, shaking his hand. He tries to reach out to her and she covers her face, ignoring his gaze.

"Did you know...?" she whispers.

"Know what?" he questions as Clementine looks confusedly between the two of them.

"That Minerva was making out with Beth in the bathrooms." Clementine's stomach drops. 

Louis was right about Minerva.

"How did you find out?" he asks.

"So, you knew? So, it's true? Did you want to break it over coffee?" she snaps, her voice a strained whisper. She scoffs. "I guess you don't have to. Brody fucking texted me."

"What the fuck," Clementine mutters as Violet huffs.

Violet turns to Clementine, with tears in her eyes. "You can have Minnie. I'm sure she'd love to have you. She notices you at her shows. Her little super fan, her little photographer," Violet says, venom filling her voice. 

"I'm not into Minerva," Clementine tries to lie.

Violet rolls her eyes and she gets out of the booth. "Just give me a minute in the bathroom."

Violet walks into the bathroom, her hands shaking and her eyes welling up with tears. She runs her fingers through her blonde hair, trying to focus on her breathing. Images of Brody's panic attacks pass through her mind. 

She hears her own words, "Breathe."

"Breathe, breathe," she repeats to herself. 

She feels lightheaded. This doesn't feel real. It can't be real. Her parents. Now Minerva. Her life is falling apart.

Her heart continues to race, but the tears stop. She begs them to stop. She looks at herself in the mirror. Her thin face, her jawline, her piercing green eyes, her cheekbones. She pictures Beth and Clementine. 

Beth has brown, curly hair, the same green eyes Violet has, except there's a bit more brown. She has freckles on her skin, which isn't tan, but it is darker than Violet's. Her features aren't so sharp and she has more weight on her body. 

Clementine. Clementine. Minerva's biggest fan. The girl always at the concerts with that cute smile on her face and her camera out. She has those pretty brown curls, sometimes hidden by her hat and honey eyes, so different from Violet's. She has some muscle on her and she has more shape to her body than Violet.

Why can't I be like them, Violet thinks to herself. 

Why am I not like them? What's wrong with me?

What did I do wrong? Did I do something? 

Images of Violet's father appear in her head and she tenses at the thought of him. His gravelly voice pounds in her head and her chest aches. 

"You fucking bitch," his words ring through her head and she shivers. "Why were you fucking born?"

She wonders this too. She's not wanted. Not even Minerva wants her anymore. Minerva's moved on. Her mom isn't there. She doubts her mom wants her. The way she watches her dad when he...No, she doesn't want Violet. She never did.

She doubts Louis even wants her around. He probably keeps her around out of pity for her situation. She pushes him away and only ever tells him anything when she's sobbing. 

God. How her chest aches right now. She shouldn't have snapped at Louis or Clementine. They haven't done anything. It's their fault she's not wanted and being abandoned by her girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend now. It stings so much. 

Violet thought she loved her. Minerva always talked about the future. Violet holds back whimpers. She can't cry. Not right now. Not here. 

The bathroom door opens and Violet jumps. Clementine stands in the doorway awkwardly. She pauses before walking in. The door shuts behind her and the bathroom is filled with silence once more. 

"Sorry," Violet apologizes. "Do you need to go to pick up your brother?" She sniffles and Clementine frowns.

"I have time. Don't worry about him," Clementine assures and sighs. "I'm sorry about Minerva—"

"No, it's fine," Violet insists, shaking her head. "I was stupid for thinking she would actually want me and that this uh, relationship was permanent. I mean, look at her, she's this perfect and talented singer. Obviously, this wouldn't last."

"That's not true. She's obviously not perfect if she's making out with other girls while she has you as a girlfriend," Clementine argues, crossing her arms. 

"Still, she's much better than me. She has much more going for her than I ever will," Violet whispers, sniffling once again.

Clementine grabs a tissue and hands it to the girl, who shyly turns the other way to blow her nose. 

"No, she's not better than you. She's a liar and a cheater. What good person cheats on their girlfriend and ignores her afterward to spend time with the person they cheated with?"

Violet shrugs, shaking her head. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I guess it's over."

"It should be. Don't let Minerva use you," Clementine says and Violet smiles softly.

"Sorry for saying what I said. I was just upset and I knew that Minerva likes you—Sorry. I don't really know you, but I know you're not like that. I shouldn't snap at you and Louis. I really shouldn't have...Fuck."

Clementine waves her hand. "It's fine. You're upset and you didn't mean it."

"That doesn't mean I should be snapping at you. I know what it's like to be in your place, so I really shouldn't be doing that," Violet replies. "Thank you for checking on me, but we should go finish our drinks."

"Are you sure you want to go out? I can leave you in here again if you need it or I can stay in here with you," Clementine offers, beginning to turn towards the door.

"I'm okay," Violet assures, putting on an assuring smile. "We can leave."

"You sure?" Clementine sees through the smile.

"Yeah, I want to get my mind off of Minerva anyway. My life's revolved around her and her band and her everything for a year," Violet justifies and Clementine nods.

Louis really was right. Though Clementine doesn't know Minerva, she really wants to knock some sense into her. How could she do that? It's clear Violet really cares for her. Clementine keeps her mouth shut as they walk back to the table. 

Louis's eyes widen at the sight of them. He looks ready to apologize, but Violet speaks up the moment she's in earshot.

"I'm so sorry. I know you weren't hiding it from me to hurt me."

"I should've told you sooner, I just didn't know how. I didn't want to break it over text, but honestly, I should've found a way. I could've told you to get out of class—"

"It's okay," Violet assures. "It's okay."

It's not.


	3. Chapter 3

Violet sits in the front seat, staring out of the window. She doesn't say a word. Clementine taps her foot nervously as she scrolls through her phone, trying to keep herself distracted. She's decided to not stay over at Louis's, so he can be there for Violet. 

The moment they arrive at the elementary school, Clementine jumps out of the car. She scans through the children. She recognizes a few of AJ's classmates before spotting him. She walks a little, waving her hand to make it easier to spot her. He sees her and smiles, jogging over to her. He gives her a hug and she wraps her arms around him in response. 

"Hey, goofball. How was school?" she asks as they pull away and he shrugs.

"It was okay. I'm ready to go home," he replies as they walk. "Why are we walking this way?" he asks, noticing they're walking towards the cars.

"Louis is going to give us a ride home," she replies.

They see the car and AJ tilts his head. "Who's that girl?"

"Her name's Violet. She's Louis's friend," Clementine answers, avoiding eye contact with the blonde teen.

"Hey, little man!" Louis greets the boy happily and AJ smiles widely as he gets into the car.

"Hi!"

"You excited to stay over my house for a bit?" Louis asks, looking back to him.

"We're coming over?" AJ looks over to Clementine for confirmation

"No, we're not," she tries to say with a cheery voice and a smile, hiding her discomfort.

"Why not?" AJ pouts and looks over to his older sister with a frown.

Clementine freezes up, trying to come up with an excuse. She doesn't want Violet to feel guilty or to be aware as to why they're leaving. 

Violet speaks for her instead, "You guys should stay over."

"Are you sure?" Clementine asks and Violet nods.

"Don't worry about me," she insists.

"Okay. Then, we're coming over for a bit," Clementine says and AJ cheers quietly. 

"Can you teach me how to play piano again?" AJ asks and Violet rolls her eyes.

"You want him to teach you?" Violet asks with a laugh.

"Hey," Louis replies, offended. 

Clementine and Violet laugh. Clementine covers her mouth. AJ looks around at all the people in the car with confusion written all over his little face. 

Sophie sits on her couch, tapping her foot impatiently. She waits for the garage door to open. Her face is contorted as she pictures Violet, crying over her girlfriend. Violet loves Minerva. She's loved her since they all went to Ericson's. And Minerva just tosses her away like that. Uses her like she's nothing. Abandons her and tosses her away like some broken toy. Sophie's chest aches for Violet.

Her phone buzzes. Mitch is worrying about her, telling her not to get into a fight with her sister. She texts him back, assuring him she knows how to handle this. Sophie glances back to her phone, seeing nothing from Minerva. Minerva said she'd be back in ten minutes, thirty minutes ago. Minerva said she was with that Beth girl, and that made Sophie's blood boil. She places her phone down and taps her fingers against her thigh, not following any particular pattern.

The door opens and Sophie stands up from the couch. She walks over to the door and sees her sister, looking cheery. Sophie shoots her a glare and Minerva looks down at her sister confusedly. She kicks off her sneakers and looks to at Sophie, looking for her to explain the phone calls and texts. 

"Why did you need to see me so bad?" Minerva asks, placing a hand on her hip. There's a hint of worry on her voice.

"You really haven't figured out why I'm so angry?"

"No," Minerva replies, raising an eyebrow.

"Minnie, you need to stop this."

"Stop what? Hanging out with my friends?"

"I know Beth is more than a friend. And so does Violet now. So does everyone."

Minerva's face contorts.

"I know Dad can be an asshole because you're a lesbian, but that doesn't mean you can just treat other people like shit! You can't fucking cheat on Violet! You know she doesn't deserve that! She never deserved this shitty relationship! You can do such better Minnie!" Sophie snaps, waving her hands around.

"You don't know shit! Violet hasn't been—"

"I know Violet hasn't been having sex with you, but relationships are fucking more than that! And that's not a reason to go off with someone else and cheat!" 

"It's none of your business," Minerva growls, her hands shaking. "Stay out of it."

"Yes, it is! When you start hurting and using my friends, it becomes my business!" Sophie seethes.

"You wouldn't fucking understand! You're the perfect girl. The perfect twin," Minerva growls, getting into Sophie's face. "You're straight and you're loved and you're perfect! You wouldn't understand what I go through! Those days when you would go out, and I would be home with Mom and Dad, you have no idea what happened! What I fucking went through! Every. Goddamn. Day," she growls out the last part before raising her voice again. "So you don't get to lecture me and get into my business!" 

"I'm sorry, Minnie. I don't entirely understand what you go through. I don't always see what they do to you. They've done it behind my back. I'm so fucking sorry you go through this, but that's not an excuse! You can't just treat Violet like shit because you're hurting! She's hurting too, and she's not treating you like shit!" Sophie shouts, her voice breaking. 

"Just fuck off, Sophie!" Minerva shouts, her face bright red. "You don't know shit!"

Minerva pushes her away, mumbling to herself angrily. Minerva stomps up the stairs, leaving Sophie breathing heavily in silence. She crosses her arms and wipes away the tears that began to gather. She can't believe Minerva doesn't show remorse for what she's done. She flinches when she hears the bedroom door slam. Sophie walks over to the couch and grabs her phone and puts in her headphones, trying to calm herself down. She doesn't want Tenn to have any idea of what's just happened.

"I'm going to go upstairs. I'm going to take a nap," Violet excuses herself and doesn't bother getting a response from any of the three.

Violet drops her bag on the floor once she gets on the room and falls to the floor. She looks through her's and Minnie's texts, reading them over. She watches them dwindle and Beth's name start to fill them. Excuses after excuses. Minnie avoiding her. 

What did she do?

She sobs, pulling her legs to her chest and making her body as small as possible. Her body shakes and shudders as sobs leave her. She tries to be as quiet as possible, like how she used to cry when she was little. This time though, it isn't out of fear. She just doesn't want to be a bother. 

As she cries, tears tumble down her cheeks. She wipes at her mascara, smudging it and making her palms and fingers grey. She sniffles, trying to prevent her nose from running. She doesn't have the energy to stand up and get the tissues. 

Her phone rings and she jumps, rubbing at her eyes frantically, as if that'll stop her crying. It's her mom, probably wondering where she's been these past couple days. She hasn't seen her mom in weeks. She ignores the call. It's not like her mom actually cares. She's just making sure her daughter isn't dead. It's not like she'd really mind if she actually was. Her mom has told her that enough times for her to be sure about that. 

The call ends and her phone shuts off. Her mom doesn't bother ringing her again. She feels guilty for sitting in Louis's guest bedroom like this, just taking up space. She feels as if she belongs home. It's not pleasant, but she feels as if she deserves it. Besides, she's used to it. 

She feels incredibly dumb for crying over a high school relationship. So many of them end. She's watched so many girls cry in the bathroom about it. She's heard so many rumors about her peers' relationships ending, just to start up again in two weeks. It was bound to happen to her and Minerva.

She has the urge to go home. Her dad would give her a reason to cry, maybe another scar. Her mom wouldn't stop him. She would watch, being the bystander Violet has known her to be. Minerva would find out; she'd notice the bruises or the marks, but wouldn't say anything. She doesn't care. She probably never did. 

Her phone lights up again and she glances over to it. The screen is blurry through her tears.

Lou: i'm here for you if you need it. so is clementine.

Lou: it will be okay

Just seeing those words make her sob even more. He's held her close so many times, soothed her with those words. He would hold an ice pack to where a bruise was and just assure her it would be over soon, and that everything would be okay. 

Violet turns off notifications and shuts her phone off. She then lies on her back and watches the ceiling fan spin. Her tears begin to stop and she just feels empty. Her breathing is still ragged and her chest continues to feel heavy. Her eyes sting and she's sure she looks like a raccoon, but she can't bring herself to care. 

Clementine sits on the couch in the basement, feeling like she should go upstairs to check on Violet. It's not her place and she barely knows the girl, but she feels guilty sitting here while Violet is probably crying all alone. Or maybe she actually is napping and Clementine would disturb her. 

Clementine leans over the back of the couch, seeing Louis and AJ playing ping pong. She doesn't want to disturb their fun or worry AJ, but she wants to ask. So she succumbs to her thoughts.

"Should I check on Violet?"

"No, she wants to be alone. She always needs time on her own to process things. I'll check on her later tonight and if she wants to talk, she'll talk," he explains, holding the ping pong ball in his hand. 

"Okay," she replies and lies back on the couch. 

Louis ends the game and lets AJ do whatever he wants, which the child is okay with. Louis sits by Clementine's legs, which she pulls up a little for him.

"Try not to worry about her. She'll be okay and better off if things with Minerva end," Louis explains and Clementine nods.

"What else does Minerva do, besides cheat on her girlfriend? It's clear Violet loves her, but there's something lacking on Minerva's end."  
Clementine fidgets with her phone, not doing anything on it with purpose. Her face is scrunched up in anger for Violet.

"She does a lot of things, but none of them really involve Violet. Like her band or Beth," he mutters Beth's name angrily. "Everything's always about her," Louis rants, unable to keep his mouth shut. He's been frustrated with this relationship for so long. Luckily, what he's said doesn't spill too much. 

"Poor Violet," Clementine says, shaking her head. Louis meets her eyes and then looks away sadly.

"Why can't something just go right for her?" he whispers to himself. He plays with his finger nails, picking at them anxiously.

"I'm sure they will someday," Clementine says. 

"I hope."

"Well, she has you as a friend, all of you guys. So something is going right for her," Clementine assures and Louis smiles, nodding his head. 

"So, do you still have that stupid crush on Minerva?" Louis asks and Clementine's mouth widens.

She looks around the basement, seeing AJ eating string cheese from the fridge and then back to Louis.

"Louis!" she raises her voice. He raises his eyebrows, looking for an answer. "Of course not. I saw her true colors today." 

"Good," he replies, letting out a relieved sigh. 

"When are you going to check on her?"

"Soon. She's probably crying, and she hates crying in front of people, so I'm leaving her to herself right now. She can think it over by herself too," he explains and Clementine nods.

She sits up and props herself up with a pillow. 

"I'll leave in a second, so Violet is comfortable," she replies.

"Okay, you're invited over any time," he says with a smile.

"You are too, if Lee's in the mood," Clementine says with a giggle.

"It's not my fault I annoy him!"

"Sure," she says, rolling her eyes. "You purposely bother him."

"Maybe a little," he admits with a chuckle. 

"And Violet can come over sometime. I'd like to get to know her better."

"I'll be sure to tell her."

"We should go get coffee again. I'll pay this time." Clementine wags her finger. "And hopefully Violet can be happier during it."

"Yeah, no talk about Minerva," Louis replies and Clementine nods. 

"Sounds good." She smiles. 

"Do you want me to pick up dinner or something for you guys? Or call something in? AJ seems hungry." Louis points to the boy who's finishing up his string cheese.

"No, it's only four. We'll be good," Clementine assures, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Alright, Lou. We should go. Say bye to Violet for me." 

"Okay, sure." He stands up and follows her over to AJ.

"C'mon, kiddo. Let's go home," she says as he swallows the last bit of his snack. 

"Okay," he replies, looking disappointed. "Bye, Louis." He waves and the teen waves back.

"See you guys later."

Louis walks them to the door and they say quick goodbyes once again. He shuts the door and lets out a sigh. He locks it and then proceeds up the stairs. He walks slower, not wanting to go through this again. He's held Violet in his arms so many times. It hurts every time; it doesn't matter if it's her mental health taking its toll, her home life, or Minerva. 

He knocks on the door. "Vi? Can I come in?" 

It takes a second but Violet opens the door, her makeup off and her hair soaking wet. She wears a t-shirt and shorts, some of her scars present. She wraps her arms around him immediately and not one word is shared between the two. 

He rubs her back assuringly, beginning to hum. She sniffles and grips the fabric of his shirt tightly, like she's afraid he'll slip away from her. 

"I'm here," he assures gently and she pulls away, forcing a smile.

"Thanks," she begins and pauses, staring at her feet. She meets his eyes again. "For always being there."

"Of course," he replies. "Do you want to talk about it?" He motions in the air, avoiding saying her name.

Violet then sits on her bed, folding her hands and staring at them. Many thoughts race through her head. She doesn't know where to start. The words tumble out of her mouth.

"What did I do wrong?" she mumbles under her breath.

It's hard for Louis to hear, but he hears it.

"You did nothing wrong," he says, placing his hands on his hip. 

"I had to have done something wrong. She cheated on me for a reason. She avoided me all those times for a reason. She doesn't want me for a reason."

"Because she's greedy and selfish, Vi. She's been like this the whole relationship. You deserve so much better," he says, raising his voice a little. 

How dare Minerva make Violet feel this way.  
How fucking dare she do this to his best friend.

She shakes her head, running her fingers through her wet hair. She purses her lips and shuts her eyes. Her dad's face appears in her mind and she wants to cry again.

"Do I? Do I really deserve better?" Her voice cracks. "My parents and Minnie don't think so. They're probably right.

"They're wrong. Yes, you do," Louis insists, holding eye contact with Violet. "You deserve so much better."

"Everyone leaves me for a reason, Lou. My parents sent me to Ericson's for a reason. Minnie cheated on me for a reason," she states calmly, though there's shakiness in her voice. 

"Well, I'm not leaving you," Louis says, hugging her again. 

"Please don't," she whispers and he frowns, holding her tighter.

"I won't," he promises, rubbing her back once again.

Even though he hasn't showered, he gets onto the bed. Violet doesn't seem to care or comment on it. They hug for a few minutes. He always feels a sense of guilt when he hugs her. He knows she never got treatment like this from her parents. He hopes his hugs make up for the lack of love she's received over these years.

Violet's breathing slows and he feels her heart start to slow down to a normal pace. He hums to her, as he always does. He knows how much she finds music soothing. Even his singing seems to always do the job.

"It's okay to cry, Vi. We'll all be here for you during this breakup. You'll be okay. Just end things, so you don't have to cry anymore," he says and she nods her head.

"I've cried way too much over her," she agrees, forcing out a chuckle. "I'm so dumb."

"As long as you get over her, you're good," he assures and she gives him a smile.

"Thank you," she replies. "Are you sure I'm not a bother? I feel like I'm always crying when I stay over."

"You're never a bother." He shrugs.

"What about Clementine? Did she leave?" He nods his head and she sighs. "Sorry."

"It's not because of you," he says and she shakes her head.

"Sure."

"Whatever. She said she wants to hang out with us again. Maybe we can get coffee and uh, have a better time," he suggests and Violet looks at him confusedly.

"She wants to spend time with me? I'm always an asshole to her because of Minnie."

"Well, now you're not with Minnie anymore, so you won't be an asshole to her anymore, right?" Violet nods. "Good. Now we can all hang out together again and have a good time." 

"Okay." Violet shrugs. 

"Maybe you'll end up going out with her," the dark-haired teen suggests and she pushes him lightly.

"Shut up. Just because we both like girls, doesn't mean we'll be into each other," she growls, shooting him a playful glare. "Dude, I just figured out—"

"I know, I know. Bad timing. I'm kidding." His hands are up in surrender. 

"Isn't she into Minnie? God, that's weird." Violet holds her head in her hands.

"Um, not anymore," Louis butts in and she rolls her eyes. "She saw Minnie's true colors. She doesn't like cheaters."

"Didn't Gabe cheat on her?" Violet looks up to him confusedly.

"I think so, but I'm not bringing that asshole up in a conversation," Louis replies, rolling his eyes. 

"Yeah, I wouldn't either," she agrees with a laugh. 

"Are you good? I have some candy in my room," Louis offers and she raises an eyebrow.

"What kind?" She avoids answering the first question

"A bunch of kinds." 

Violet then stands up, pausing and looking back. She tilts her head to the door, wanting him to show her his stash of candy. Louis smiles, feeling accomplished at cheering her up. Hopefully, he can keep her mind off her ex for a little while.


	4. Chapter 4

On the last Monday of junior year, Clementine sits in the back of the class with Louis. She talks with Louis, sharing headphones with him again. Every couple minutes or so, she looks over at Minnie. Minnie looks fine; she has a smile on her face and her eyes lovingly meet Beth's.

"Stop staring," Louis whispers, swatting at her arm. 

"I can't help it," she mutters, meeting his eyes and facing him. "How is she still hanging out with Beth, acting like everything is fine?"

"Because she never really cared about Violet. She was interested in Violet, but she didn't genuinely care for her. Or maybe she just stopped. I don't know, honestly. All I know is that she treated Violet like shit and now she's moving onto Beth," Louis explains and Clementine furrows her eyebrows.

"Cheaters are the worst," Clementine states as she's reminded of Gabe. She rolls her eyes at merely the thought of him.

"They are," Louis agreed, tapping his foot angrily. He pauses and they make eye contact. "By the way, are you busy?"

"No, same thing as last week. I just have to pick up AJ."

"Want to go get coffee with Violet and me?" 

"Sure." Clementine smiles "Is she doing better?" 

"Yeah, she hasn't spoken to Minerva since."

"Good," Clementine responds. "It could be good to end to things, for closure, but if she's done, she's done."

"Yeah, it would be, but not for Violet. If Minerva says one nice thing to Violet, promise her not to leave, Violet would be dating her once again. She needs some time before she can see Minerva again," Louis explains and Clementine nods in understanding.

"Be there for her. Boost her confidence. You know how I felt after the whole Gabe situation." 

"Angry and insecure," Louis recalls. "The dick cheated on you, right? You never really told me. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Yeah, he did," Clementine replies and shakes her head. "I'm kind of grateful he did. I would've stayed in that relationship longer."

"I never liked him."

"I don't think I really did either," Clementine admits. "Maybe it's the same way with Violet; she just hasn't figure it out. I'm not going to speak for her though. I don't know."

"Maybe. I think she thinks higher of Minerva than what Minerva really is. Minerva also has been with her so long, and she's afraid of people leaving her. So, she just kept going back to her," Louis explains, his eyes becoming dull.

"Damn," Clementine says, shaking her head. "We'll all be there for her, prevent this from happening."

"I'll do my best," Louis says and his friend gives him a thumbs up.

"I will, too."

The bell rings and everyone leaves the room. Clementine hands Louis his headphone back. She gets her string bag together and walks out with Louis. Minerva is front of them, now separated from her new lover. She stands in the hallway and waits for them.

"Hey, Clementine," she greets and looks at Louis. "Hey, Lou."

Louis rolls his eyes and lightly grabs Clementine's arm. "Let's go."

"It's fine. You go," Clementine assures and he sighs, losing his grip.

"Don't start trouble," he replies and walks away. 

He bites his lip nervously. He hopes it's for the best. He can't look at Minerva right now. Maybe Clementine can talk some sense into his old friend, or tell her not to bother them or Violet any longer.

"Have you seen Violet by any chance? I haven't been seeing her around," Minerva asks, her blue eyes piercing through Clementine's.

Being this close to Minerva, Clementine realizes how tall the teen is. She notices her freckles and how shiny her lips are from the lip gloss she applies daily. If Clementine hadn't figured out what she did, what she's really like, she'd be swooning in this moment.

"Uh, no. Sorry, I'm not close with her," Clementine says cheerily, putting on a small fake smile. She tries to keep calm, but on the inside she's fuming for the blonde.

"I thought you would be. You guys have a lot in common; same friends, that kind of thing," Minerva says and then leans close to Clementine. "You're both also very pretty," she adds and pulls away, looking Clementine up and down. 

Clementine almost shivers from disgust. She tries to keep her voice down when she replies back.

"You shouldn't be complimenting me when you have a girlfriend," Clementine snaps, becoming annoyed with the taller's behavior. "Especially when it's rumored that you're cheating on her."

Minerva just smiles, enjoying the way Clementine's face scrunches up, how her eyebrows furrow, how her eyes show all her emotions when she's angry.

"She's not my girlfriend anymore, at least I don't think so. I'll get her back though, and maybe I'll get you too," she says, winking at Clementine. "I hope to see you at my next show."

Clementine glares daggers at the girl, clenching her fist, the one which isn't gripping her phone. She goes down the other way, avoiding Minerva. She has the urge to rip up all her photographs of Minerva and the band. She feels so stupid for falling for this girl, swooning over her at shows for months. The bell rings and she jogs to her next class, getting there a little late.

Her teacher doesn't comment on it, just glancing up at her and giving her a smile. She goes back to grading the final assignments. Marlon and Brody wave her over and she sits next to them.

"Louis texted me and said you spoke to Minnie," Brody mentions, showing the message on her phone.

"I wish I hadn't," Clementine admits, shaking her head in disgust. "She flirted with me and said she'd have both Violet and me."

Marlon huffs, covering his face with his hand. Brody frowns at that and bites her lip nervously. 

"I get that she has issues, but that doesn't mean she can act like this. She can't just play with people's emotions like that," Brody states angrily, moving her hands around as she speaks. 

"Sophie spoke with her. Clearly, she refuses to listen to anybody with reason," Marlon adds.

"Poor Soph," Brody says with a pout.

"I know," Marlon replies.

"Violet hasn't spoken to her since she's found out, right?" Clementine checks, drumming her fingers against the desk.

"Yeah. At least, that's what Louis says," Brody answers.

"Good. It's clear Minerva wants attention, so it's great that she isn't getting it," Clementine adds.

"I can't believe her," Marlon says. "I really want to leave the band. It's all about Minerva these days. And she's just becoming a really gross person."

"I hope she changes," Brody says before glancing to her phone. "For Violet's sake. The poor girl was head over heels for her."

"I honestly don't know what she sees these days," Marlon continues.

"She probably sees what Minerva used to be," Clementine adds, frowning. "I hope she finds someone better." 

"We all do," Brody agrees.

Louis and Clementine walk out of school together. Throughout the day, they've tried to avoid the Minerva situation. Luckily, it isn't on their minds and they hope it isn't on Violet's either. They both silently wish for a nice, care-free time with Violet. 

It takes a few minutes before they arrive in the student parking lot. Violet is already at the car, texting on her phone. 

"Vi!" Louis greets her with a smile.

She gives him a small smile back and waves to Clementine. Clementine repeats the same motion and gives the teenager a friendly smile in return. 

"So, are we getting coffee?" Violet asks as she climbs in the car.

"Yeah, and I'm paying this time," Clementine says, pointing at Louis. "Don't argue with me, Lou." 

"Fine," he gives in. "You guys still owe me dinner though."

"We'll do it sometime this summer," Violet says with a shrug.

"Speaking of summer," Louis begins and Violet sighs knowingly. 

"Can we not do this with Clementine here? I'm sure she doesn't care about my living situation," Violet tries to derail the subject.

"I don't mind. If you’re uncomfortable talking about it with me here, I get it though,” Clementine assures, giving Violet a small smile before facing the front again. 

“Fine,” Violet gives in, staring at her lap.

"Alright. Let's continue then. Are you staying with your parents?" Louis asks and she crosses her arms, pausing for a moment.

"Yes. Tonight I am, too."

"Why?" Louis questions, looking back at her through the mirror.

"Because my mom wants me home. She called me last night about it. I don't want her starting any trouble at your place," Violet replies, continuing to avoid eye contact with any of them. 

"Tell her it's fine if you stay at my place. My parents are fine with it—"

"Lou, it's not about that. She doesn't care about your parents. She just wants me home because I'm supposed to live there. She buys food for me and all of that,” Violet explains, her voice a little shaky. "Now, can we just drop it?"

Louis sighs and nods his head. "If you want."

"What do you guys want to talk about, then?" Violet asks, trying to get rid of any questions or conversations about her life. 

"How's Lee?" Louis asks, deciding to make the conversation about Clementine.

"He's good. Same as usual."

"And his girlfriend?"

"Carley's great. I feel like she may be the one he ends up with forever," Clementine says with a smile.

Violet smiles softly, glad something is going good for someone. She's tired of this constant negativity surrounding her. Maybe Clementine and Louis can bring out the positive things in her life. 

Her phone buzzes and she decides to ignore it. Whoever it is can wait. It's probably about Minerva or something about her family. She doesn't want to deal with it all right now, so she doesn't. 

Louis turns up some music and starts to sing along, trying to lighten the mood. Clementine giggles once again and quietly sings along with her friend. Violet just rolls her eyes at the two, not even bothering to hide her smile. 

Louis lowers the music, an idea popping up in his head.

"Want to drink our coffee in the car this time? We can listen to music and serenade Violet," he suggests and Clementine nods her head at the idea.

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay," Violet shrugs, rolling her eyes again. 

"How's our singing?" Louis asks, glancing back to her in the mirror.

"I rate it a six out of ten."

"Ouch." Louis presses a hand to his chest. "You hurt me Violet," he mimics a child. 

"A little more practice and maybe you'll be a seven," Violet continues and Clementine laughs, covering her mouth.

"Both of you are so rude," he huffs as he parks.

Clementine and Violet both make eye contact. Clementine smiles and Violet shyly returns it. Once the car is in park, Violet then unbuckles and gets out of the car. The trio walks into the place. They’re the only students from their school there. There’s some people sitting around, but very few. There isn’t a line, so they quickly order their drinks and wait.

Violet blows the straw wrapper at Louis, who pouts in response. When they get their drinks, he pokes her in the side and she jumps a little. She punches his arm lightly and Clementine giggles at them before taking the first sip of her coffee.

They get back in the car and Louis turns up some old Fall Out Boy. Violet smirks at the song choice and taps her foot to the beat. 

“Sing along, Vi!” He cheers, raising his free hand in the air. 

Violet sings along shyly, barely audible over the music. Her cheeks are pink, nervous about being this out there with Clementine around. Louis sings way louder, tapping the steering wheel to the beat. Clementine joins in, singing along between sips. Her honey eyes are bright and her cheeks are slightly pink.

Louis barely drinks his coffee, dancing along to the music. After a few Fall Out Boy songs, he turns up “Every Time We Touch”, and Violet covers her face with her free hand. She groans as he turns around, pointing to her. He sings to her, acting all dreamy. He sings the beginning quietly before shouting the rest of the lyrics. 

Clementine pulls out her phone and records him, laughing hysterically at him. They all laugh as he turns off the song.

“Enough of that. My throat’s going to kill me tomorrow.” Louis rubs his throat and the two girls agree. “How was my singing then, Vi?”

“I give it a four.” Louis pouts at that before taking a sip.

“The dancing, that was a ten,” Clementine adds, saving the video to her phone before sending it to Brody and Marlon. 

“Damn, Lou,” Violet teases. “Maybe if I wasn’t a lesbian, I would’ve fallen for you right then and there.” She raises one of the fingers holding her coffee at him. 

“I am a pretty good dancer,” he admits with a smirk.

“You’re also very humble,” Violet jokes and Clementine snickers. 

“Yeah, I really am,” Louis agrees with a smirk. “No wonder I’m such a catch.” 

“I’m sure your many girlfriends agree,” Violet teases and Clementine covers her mouth.

Louis’s mouth drops and he feels heat go to his cheeks.

“You’ve only had one girlfriend,” Louis points out, glancing back to the blonde. She tries to hide her smirk behind her drink.

“One more than you.” Clementine laughs behind her hand.

“You can’t laugh either. You dated Gabe.” Louis points at Clementine, who gags in response.

Violet laughs at that.

“Shut up,” Clementine grumbles. 

“Alright. Let’s stop that. Let’s go pick up my little buddy.” 

“Can you drop me off after Clementine?” Violet asks and Louis tilts his head.

“Sure, but doesn’t your mom come home at like six?” 

“Yeah, but I don’t want my dad on my ass about coming home late or anything,” Violet replies and Louis nods his head.

“Okay, sounds good,” he says hesitantly. 

He wishes he didn’t have to drop her off. He didn’t want her around her father or her mother at all. If he could prevent it he could, but he didn’t want to start any trouble for his best friend.


	5. Chapter 5

Violet's heart races, her hands shake. She's drank some of her coffee and had some of her muffin. She said two o'clock, but ended up coming early. Her phone is off, so Louis can't tell her this is a bad idea. She hasn't seen him since school ended. She's ignored his messages, but after a day, she couldn't ignore Minerva's. Her mother's cold words, her father's drunken words. She can't deal with this anymore. She needs for something to go right, for this relationship to end, or for Minerva's affection.

Thinking about Louis makes her heart hurt. He's always assured her everything would be okay. He's always been there to listen to her rants and to her sobs.

"You'll be so much better off without her. Just wait and see," he had said and she agreed.

She hopes to end this, but at the same time, she knows she'll go back to Minerva if they can fix this. She hopes Louis doesn't hate her after this. That'll just be another person the list. Maybe Clementine will join him there. Maybe Sophie, too. 

The bell on the small café's door chimes and Violet's eyes jump up from her snack. She meets Minerva's piercing blue eyes, the color of today's cloudless sky. Her short hair is wavy and she wore makeup. Violet noticed the bit of eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara making her eyes pop. Her lips are painted a medium shade of pink and when parted reveal her white teeth. She smiles at Violet, observing her prey. Violet almost shivers at the sight of her. She looks so beautiful, so perfect. How ironic.

"She may just need time to herself," Clementine tries to assure Louis, though she is also worried for the blonde. 

Louis hasn't given away much about Violet's home life for her sake, but the way Louis acts about it says enough. He chews on his nails, his foot anxiously tapping on the floor.

"Just give her some time, Lou. We don't want to go sending the police to her place or going there ourselves and starting trouble. Violet doesn't need that," Clementine continues and he sighs. 

"Sorry for bothering you," he says with a calmer voice. 

He stops his fidgeting and meets her eyes. His eyes are sincere and gentle. She gives him a small smile.

"Don't apologize. I'm kind of worried, too," Clementine assures, placing a hand on his arm. 

"What if her parents try to send her away again? She already went to Ericson's with all of us until eighth grade."

"You said money was tight. They probably can't," Clementine tries to debunk his ideas and tries to calm him in the process.

"I hope not. She already has so many issues from that situation alone," Louis replies, anxiously tapping his foot once again.

"Everyone in the group chat also hasn't seen her?" Clementine asks as she checks her phone.

"Yeah, and she won't answer them either. I'm at the point where I want to text Minerva."

"That's a last resort. We don't want Minerva knowing anything about Violet or giving her the chance to find Violet alone," the brunette girl replies. 

"I know, but I feel like she always knows something about Violet I don't. She's always one step ahead, controlling Violet and keeping Vi all to herself."

"We're all here for Violet. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again, Lou." She sighs, glancing at her phone. "Do you have anyone else to text? Maybe someone saw her in town."

"I'll try James," Louis says and Clementine nods. His hands are slightly shaky as he texts James. In a few seconds, the text is sent and they begin to wait. "I really want to go to her house, but her dad...I don't want to start trouble with him."

"Maybe there's a way we could talk to him or check on Vi without there being any trouble. If he doesn't like you, maybe I can go—"

"No, no. He doesn't like me, but he won't be happy with me and some girl he doesn't know asking about Violet."

"Why would be have a problem with me?" Clementine raises her eyebrows.

"Because he's extremely homophobic. Extremely. And he's a drunk. She hasn't told me everything he's said to her drunk, but he's said a shit ton of things to her about it. Called her all kinds of words," Louis explains, his expression falling even more, if that's possible. He intertwines his hands and squeezes them tightly. His eyebrows furrow and his face scrunches up. "I don't want her to get hurt or for you to get hurt because of me."

"Let's just wait it out, then. Maybe we can go over there when her mom's home or something, you know?"

"Yeah, maybe," Louis replies quietly. 

His phone buzzes and he jumps, immediately reading it.

james: i think i saw her in town yesterday. she was grabbing some groceries. is she doing okay?

louis: thank you!!! we don't know but at least we know she should be around town.

james: oh ok. i hope everything turns out okay :)

louis: :))

"That's good. Let's just wait it out. She's probably busy or sleeping in really late," Clementine suggests and he nods his head.

"She wakes up early, but maybe her dad kept her up or something," Louis adds. 

Sophie can't bring herself to eat her lunch. Minerva left. Sophie assumes it was to hang out with Beth or something. Now, hearing all of this about Violet and not getting an answer back from her, makes Sophie believe otherwise. She doesn't know whether or not she should mention this to the group chat. 

What if Violet will finally get the guts to break up with Minerva and she ruins that? What if this just starts trouble with Minerva, who may not be involved, and this gets Violet hurt. Her head feels heavy. 

Tenn glances to her worriedly, noticing her not touching her sketchbook or her food. He hands her his drawing of a cat, with a smile on his face. 

"Feel better, Sophie," he says before walking away.

Sometimes Sophie gets like this. He assumes it's one of those times and decides to not disturb her.

Sophie leaves her sandwich on the table and decides to pace around the house to calm herself down. She silently wishes Minerva isn't with Violet, and that Violet is okay. 

At the thought of her, she gets a text. When she looks at it, it's Violet. Her eyes brighten.

vi: i'm fine don't worry about me

sophie: oh good sorry if i bothered you 

vi: dw

Louis jumps at a text from Violet. Clementine also leans closer to read the text from the screen. 

vi: stop spamming me

vi: i'm fine 

lou: you sure?

vi: yup

lou: want to come over?

vi: i can't i'm busy

lou: oh, what are you doing?

He's then left on read and he frowns. She usually answers when he asks or at least replies with, "doing something boring" or a text like that. 

"Don't look too much into it. She might need a moment to herself. We can make plans another day," Clementine says. "At least we know she's all right."

"Yeah," he agrees.


	6. Chapter 6

Minerva smirks, watching as Violet becomes increasingly uncomfortable under her gaze. Violet can barely hold her gaze. Minerva holds back a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. 

"So, you cheated on me?" Violet begins, breaking the silence. She finally holds Minerva's gaze. Her green eyes are dull and almost emotionless, except for the hint of fear in them. 

"It was a mistake, Vi. It's just...I needed something. You haven't been giving back in a little while and I just get really stressed over all the shows. It can also be really draining being with you, Vi. We have similar issues and it gets very rough. Please understand," Minerva says, playing with the straw in Violet's drink. 

Violet wonders how Louis has held up for so long. She tries not to break down around him, but it's happened so many times. He must be so tired of it all, of her. 

Violet hears her mother's words, how she's a bother. How her mother wishes there was somewhere else her parents could send her. If only they could afford it. 

At least Minerva understands her. She can make her forget.

"I'll try not to do it again," Minerva continues and Violet nods. 

"I'm sorry," Violet apologizes quietly and Minerva smiles. "I should be there for you more."

"It's okay, Vi. Are we together again?" Minerva reaches for the girl's hand, her cold rings press up against warm skin. 

Violet hopes they won't hate her for this. She nods her head, unable to say the words. Minerva smiles even wider.

"Good. Let's get out of here," Minerva says and gets up from her seat. She takes a bite of Violet's muffin and takes it with her.

She wraps an arm around her girlfriend, who silently sips her coffee. She notices her phone lighting up and sighs.

"Vi, who's bothering you?"

"Probably Louis."

"Text him and whoever else. We need some alone time to make up for what we lost." 

Violet nods and texts them with one hand before shutting off her phone. She shoves it in her pocket and Minerva pulls her closer. She kisses the top of her head. 

"I love you, Violet."

"Love you too," Violet says, her voice shaky. She holds back tears.

It feels so nice to have someone say that. She hopes Minerva means it. 

Please. 

Violet sits in the front seat, cradling her coffee in her hands. She seems to protect it as if it's a treasure. She couldn't sleep these past nights. Thoughts of Minerva filled her head and flashbacks to her grandma tormented her. Her father's shouting didn't help either. 

Minerva drives to her house and the two walk in together. She leads Violet up to her room and the blonde immediately falls back on her bed after she places her drink down. 

Minerva lies down to Violet, running her fingers through her soft blonde hair. She admires Violet's long eyelashes, a slightly darker color than her hair. She kisses her forehead and then her lips. Her girl is so beautiful. The second time their lips meet, Violet kisses back. Minerva pulls away and smiles. 

"You're beautiful," she compliments, her voice husky and Violet's heart races. "Anyone tell you that?" Violet shakes her head. 

"Just you." Minerva smirks. 

"I'm so lucky," Minerva says, playing with her girlfriend's hair again. Violet closes her eyes. Minerva then stops and loses her smile. "How's your dad?"

Violet's eyes shoot open and Minerva licks her lips. "Bad. Terrible."

"Mine, too. Smacked me the other night. Called me a dirty whore," Minerva describes, cupping Violet's cheek with her hand. "You understand how that feels. How it hurts when your own father hates you."

Violet meets her icy eyes and nods her head. She gulps. "My mom, too," Violet adds.

"Yeah, mine. She's the worst. She's the one that smacks me, praises Sophie. She asks why I can't just be like her. Grandma would want to see if us if I just liked a goddamn boy." 

"It's okay, though. I have you, Vi. You understand. You listen. You give. You love. And I listen. And I love you. We understand one another. You think Clementine understands? Louis? Sophie? Brody?" 

Violet freezes and so does Minerva. She looks for a response, watching every move. Violet shakes her head.

"No."

"It's okay, Vi. You have me. You'll always have me. Grandma may have left you, your parents may have abandoned you, Louis may leave you, but you'll always have me," Minerva says before kissing Violet.

Violet wraps her arms around Minerva. She's right. Minerva may have cheated, but she came back. It was just a mistake. Violet wants to cry, but she can't. She feels cold and numb, like her emotions are trapped under ice. She can feel them, but she can’t at the same time. She knows what she’s feeling, but at the same time she’s unsure. She’s unsure if this is right, if Minerva is right for her. 

Maybe Minerva isn’t right, but it’s what Violet deserves. She’s been told she was never good enough. Maybe this is all she is good for, taking care of Minerva and Minerva taking care of her in rare occasions. 

"Can I sleep here tonight?" Violet asks, her voice weak. "I don't want to see my parents. Or Louis. Or Clementine." 

They wouldn't understand. And she couldn't hide Minerva from them. Maybe Louis will hate her. He never liked Minerva. He doesn't understand them. They'll grow distant again, but at least, she'll have her girlfriend. 

"Of course, baby. Mom and Dad went on a little vacation." 

Violet smiles and initiates a kiss this time. She just wants to forget. And so does Minerva. The redhead smiles into the kiss. Her sweet Violet is back in her grasp again.

"Minnie and Violet are back together," Sophie announces the moment she gets into Louis's house. "I was home in my room and I hear Violet and Minnie talking."

"Are you sure?" Louis asks, his eyes widening. 

"Yeah, she's spending the night at my place. I'm pretty sure I heard that. After that, I just ran," Sophie says, running her fingers through her hair nervously.

"Fuck," Louis mutters, holding his head in his hands. "This again."

"I know." Sophie nods her head. "Maybe I can talk her out of it."

"I've tried, Soph. I thought this breakup was it, but it's not,” Louis replies weakly.

"Maybe I can convince her," Clementine adds, placing her hand on her chest. 

"We've tried so hard, Clem. I don't know," Sophie replies, eyes darting between Louis and Clementine. 

"I'll talk to Minerva again—"

"Clem, you don't want to mess with Minerva. She has a temper and she has a few inches on you," Sophie says and Louis nods.

"I'm not letting both you and Violet get hurt because of Minerva,” Louis says, holding her gaze.

"At this point, everyone is getting hurt because of Minerva. You guys are hurting and so is Violet. If none of you will say something, I will," Clementine raises her a voice a little. 

"How are you going to find Minnie anyway? Just pop up at my house?" Sophie asks, placing her hands on her hips. 

"I have her number. I'll text her, call her, whatever." Clementine holds up her phone. 

"Clem, you're not that close with Violet. Minerva knows that. She's not going to take you seriously," Louis states.

"Whatever. I'll try. The least I can do is try," Clementine says.

"Are we going to be able to convince her to not do this?" Sophie asks Louis tiredly. 

"Probably not." He shrugs.

Sophie sighs. "Fine. Then, Clementine, stay safe. Don't go looking for a fight. Don't yell. Keep it calm and serious, okay?"

"Okay. It'll be fine, guys," Clementine assures and starts scrolling through her messages.

Minerva's phone buzzes. Her long fingers grab it and she smirks when she sees who has texted. She places her phone back down and continues to rub Violet's back. The blonde quietly cries in her chest, breaking down. 

Violet feels so weak. She hates how she still gets the butterflies being around Minnie. Violet hates how no matter what she goes, she always ends up here, in Minerva's arms. She despises how assuring it is to be in her hold. Minerva has broken her trust so many times, used her so many times, yet still, Violet is always coming back to her. She ditches her friends for Minerva, ignores them for Minerva. Her life always ends up revolving around Minerva.

Minerva treats her like shit, but still, Violet feels like she's wanted and loved. It's not a good love, but it's love nonetheless. She wants the kisses and the hugs. Where else is she getting it from? 

Violet stops crying and her breathing slows. In a few moments, she's fallen asleep. Minerva still holds her close, smiling to herself. 

She grabs her phone and texts Clementine. She wonders what the girl wants. She licks her lips. Clementine is cute, but not as cute as her Violet. Maybe her words will come true and she'll have both of them. Her Vi and her photographer.

Clementine pulls on the crimson shirt and her black shorts. Her curly hair is down and she doesn't wear her hat today. She meets her own amber eyes in the mirror. She taps her fingers against her dresser and bites her lip.

I hope I can help you, Vi, she thinks to herself. 

The moment Sophie hears footsteps, she takes her cup of tea and herself out of the kitchen. She refuses to see the duo. She can't look at them. It hurts. She feels so useless and helpless. She can't help Minerva and she can't help Violet. She knows if she argues with either of them about this, they'll distance themselves from her.

Minerva kisses Violet's head as they prepare cereal. Violet notices how happy Minerva is. She hopes it's because of her, but she doubts it. She keeps quiet, not questioning her girlfriend's demeanor. 

"Vi, I have plans today. Do you want to stay here?" she asks and the blonde shrugs.

"Maybe I should spend time with Louis. He wanted to hang out yesterday," Violet suggests and Minerva nods her head.

Minerva hides her smile. Perfect. Louis can distract her and she doesn't have to know about her meeting with Clementine. 

"Have a good time and try not to bring up us. You know how they feel."

"I know." Violet nods her head before taking her bowl to the table. 

"Don't worry about it. They don't understand us," Minerva replies, setting her bowl down next to Violet's.

"They don't," Violet agrees before taking her first bite. 

"They're lucky. They don't have to go through what we do." Minerva rubs Violet's arm. 

Violet shrugs in response. 

Clementine waits in the park, fidgeting with her small purse. She stares at the trees and the people passing by. She waits to spot that red head of hair. She clenches her fists at the thought of her. Her heart is racing.

A few minutes later, she spots Minerva. She wears black and white plaid pants and a white off the shoulder top. Her hair is left wavy and she wears silver hoops. 

"Hey," she greets Clementine, wearing a smile. She flutters her long eyelashes and looks Clementine up and down, making the teen tense. 

"Hi," Clementine snaps, standing up. "I have a problem with you." She jabs a finger in Minerva's direction. 

"Hmm?" Minerva raises an eyebrow, biting her lip. "Go ahead." Minerva sits down, looking up at the angry girl. 

"You cheat on Violet and now you guys are back together! Stop manipulating her and using her! It's disgusting." Clementine raises her voice, moving her shaking hands as she speaks.

"You act like you know everything. It was Violet's choice to get back together with me," she says with a confident smile.

"You're disgusting," Clementine growls and Minerva smiles wider, if that's possible. Clementine's stomach churns at the sight. This woman...

"Don't act like you know me, Clementine. Or Violet either. You really don't."

"I don't want to get to know you. I don't need to. I already see what type of person you are. You use people, manipulate people for your own gain, to make you feel good. You shouldn't be with Violet. All of us, we'll end this."

"Tell Violet then, because I'm not leaving her. She won't leave me though. Everyone has tried to break us apart, but we always come back to each other. You can try, but she's mine, Clementine. And you can be, too." She holds her hand out with an inviting smile.

"You're so gross." Clementine slaps away her hand. "How could you do that to her?"

"Why did you want to meet up with me? To scold me? What are you, my mother?" Minerva drops her hand into her lap, sneering at the brunette.

"I've decided to meet up with you tell you that if you hurt any of my friends, I will have your ass." Clementine jabs her finger in the redhead's direction. 

"I suggest you mind your own business, Clementine. If you try anything, I have information about you."

"What information?" Clementine crosses her arms. She has to be bluffing. 

"Your involvement with The New Frontier," Minerva whispers, her eyes piercing through Clementine's widened ones. "Why don't you join me? You and Violet will be mine and I'll protect both of you. You won't have to worry about them or for Violet. You can protect her if you'd like."

"I won't be yours. I will never. How do you even know about that?" Clementine fidgets, placing her hand on the brand on her arm. Her shirt hides it luckily. 

"I have my ways," Minerva whispers with a smirk. "I suggest you mind your own business, Clementine. Violet is perfectly fine and it’ll stay that way.”

"If you're involved with The New Frontier, she isn't safe.” Clementine glares at her.

"Good thing I'm not then." Clementine squints at that. 

"Then...how did you—“

"I have my ways," she repeats and stands up. "If that's all, I'll go. Bye, Clementine."

"No, this isn't over." Clementine grabs her arm. "Do you want me to reveal who you really are, what you're really like to your fans? To the whole school? To Violet? All of us will go up against you and talk sense into Violet. This will end, one way or another.”

"Don't act like you know me, Clementine. It's clear you don't. If you knew me, you would know to take my threats seriously. Do you want me to reveal that you were a member of The New Frontier?" Clementine is silent. "I won't hesitate to tell everyone. I'll post it everywhere. I won't hesitate to keep Violet away from all of you if I have to, either. So think before you speak."

“If word gets around about you being in The New Frontier, they may come after. Your life may fall apart. Your friends and family. will be in danger. So think twice before getting involved with me and Violet, Clementine.”

Minerva sighs and walks away, leaving Clementine all alone. Her hand goes up to the brand on her arm once again. 

How did she find out? Who else knows?

Clementine sits at home, legs pressed up against her chest. Louis has called her and she hasn't answered. She's still trying to take it in. Minerva knows. She remembers Minerva's threats and shivers. Violet isn't safe. She isn't safe. Louis may not be safe. Lee and AJ could be in danger.

She itches to call someone. Maybe Gabe. Maybe Javi. Fuck. She feels a panic attack coming on. Fucking Minerva.

She decides to call Sophie. Maybe she knows. Maybe she'll understand. Her shaky finger presses on her contact and then she presses the "call" button. After three rings, the girl picks up.

"Hey, Clem. Are you okay? Louis said you spoke with Minnie."

"Minerva...she's dangerous. Violet isn't safe. I'm not safe. You may not be safe, either," Clementine says shakily, not even bothering to hide her fear.

"What do you mean?" Sophie asks, raising her eyebrows. Her stomach drops, knowing what's coming next.

"I think she's involved with The New Frontier or something like that."

"I know," Sophie whispers. "But it's not them."

"What?"

"Delta. We were with Delta," Sophie reveals, her voice shaky like Clementine's.

"What?" Clementine repeats, her eyes widening.

"I'm not with them anymore, but Minnie is," Sophie continues, her voice shaking. “Shit. Minnie's back. Clem, don't tell anyone about this. I'll talk to you some other time." Sophie hangs up.

Clementine takes Sophie’s words in. Delta. She’s heard of them, another group like the Frontier. Instead, they were more corrupt and sometimes would kidnap people into the group. God, what is wrong with Minerva? Is Violet safe? Clementine doubts it.

She thought her few months in The New Frontier were behind her. Now they may be an issue again, along with Delta. She sighs, covering her face with her hands, and falls back onto her bed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Please, Clem. Talk to me. I'm losing Vi. I can't lose you, too. What happened?" Louis says, his voice soft.

They sit together on Clementine's couch. She's on the edge of the couch and their bodies face one another. Louis rests one of his arms on the top of the couch and his other hand moves a little as he speaks. He wants his friend to confide in him. Violet used to hide her issues, but after a while, he saw through it. He sees through Clementine; the way she fidgets and how she looks almost as if she's in pain. 

"We just talked. I snapped at her for treating Violet like shit, and she was a bitch back to me. Nothing else happened," Clementine explains again and Louis shakes his head.

"You're shaken up. You didn't speak to me for days for a reason."

"I was just...frustrated. I feel so helpless in this situation," she admits, holding his gaze. It's not a lie, but it's not the full truth.

"I am, too. It's okay. I'm here," he says and she fakes a small smile.

She nods. "Sorry for not talking to you. I should've." 

Louis shrugs, looking at her skeptically. "Whatever. You did now." He hopes she'll spill eventually.

"How's Violet?" Clementine asks.

"Fine. I haven't spoken to her about the situation. I don't think she knows that we know yet."

Clementine nods her head again, looking into her lap. She fidgets a little. 

"Should we talk to her about it? I've tried so many times, Clem. It hasn't worked, but maybe one of these days it will."

"I don't know. Minerva has her brainwashed, I'm sure. She'll probably get upset and tell Minerva about it. And then Minerva will do her thing and we'll only get more distant from her," Clementine explains, remembering Minerva's words. "She doesn't care about Violet. She just wants her, like she's some toy. It's gross."

"I know," Louis replies, his eyes staring off. "I know." He clenches his fist.

"We'll help her. Someday, she'll get away from this," Clementine assures, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just treat her the same and be the good people in her life. You know that there's a lot of bad people in it."

Louis manages a smile at that. 

"I'll invite her to dinner with my dad, AJ and you tonight. Does that work for you?"

"Yeah," Louis replies. 

"Do you think Minerva will tag along or have a problem with this?" Clementine checks as she turns on her phone. 

"No, not unless it was some big party. Did Minerva say anything to you?" Clementine pauses at the question and Louis already knows her answer. "What did she say?"

"Nothing," Clementine snaps, giving him a look. 

"What did she say?" he repeats, not taking her answer. 

"She just told me to watch out for her and think twice before I acted like that again. That type of thing."

"Anything else?" he presses and Clementine shakes her head. "You sure?" She nods her head. 

"Yes, Louis."

"You can trust me."

"I do trust you," she replies with eyebrows raised. "Don't think that I don't." Her heart aches. If only he knew. But he can't. She doesn't want to involve him in the darkest parts of her life. She can’t let her friends and family get hurt.

"So, that's it?"

"Mhmm. That's all she said. Now, let me text Violet." She waves him off. 

"Clem?" Clementine looks over, in the middle of her text, and meets his eyes. "Thank you for being such a good friend. You barely know Violet, but you try to include her and scold her shitty girlfriend." Clementine smiles. 

"Don't thank me. Violet's my friend now. If you were going though the same thing, you know I'd attack whoever was treating you that way." Louis smiles at that and nods. 

"Same to you, Clem."

"I know." She then finishes up her text and sends it to Violet. "I don't think I have to worry about that though. James is a nice guy," she says with a smile and Louis's eyes widen.

"Shit. It's that obvious?"

"Mhmm. It's cute," she teases with a laugh. "I think he's into to you, too."

Louis looks around her empty house, as if someone could be listening besides her. "Can I tell you about something?"

His eyes dart from her face for a second and into his lap. He moves his arm down and folds his hands together. 

"Sure," she says softly, giving him an encouraging smile.

"It's dumb and I don't want to insult you or Vi or James or—"

"Lou, calm down. Just let the thoughts out."

"Okay. I'm scared, Clem. I've liked guys before, thought they were hot, you know? That kind of thing. No big deal. I wasn't dating them. No one had to know. No one knew. But dating a guy, dating James, people could know. And I'm scared. About my parents, about the people around me. What if they make senior year hell? What if being gay is actually wrong, when it comes to me being it?" He rants, moving his hands a little as he speaks. His hands shiver a little and his eyes can't seem to focus on Clementine or one singular object. 

"Like, I have no problem with James being into guys or you and Vi being into girls. There's nothing wrong with that. Still, I wonder if there's something wrong with me," he whispers and finally looks her in her amber eyes. "My grandparents say things about it. I hear the disgust and their voice and I feel gross. I feel scared. I'm not gay, not fully, but I would be into a guy."

"I get it," she whispers, pulling her knees to her chest. She rests her chin on her knees and wraps her arms around her calves. "My dad and AJ don't know about me being bi. And it's weird. I still worry about telling them. My stomach twists."

"Mine does, too." Louis lets out a small laugh. "And I think AJ and Lee would accept you. They love you to death."

Clementine almost tears up at that. She loves them so much.

She continues, "I never had a chance with Minerva. I was just infatuated with this singer, this artist. The thought of dating a girl is kinda scary. When that happens, I don't want to hide her, and then, when I did, I would have to tell people. My secret would be out."

"Yeah, my feelings would become more real then, I guess," Louis tries to describe and Clementine nods her head. His voice quivers and there's a bit of a shine to them. No tears fall from his coffee-colored his eyes though. 

"There's nothing weird with feeling that way. Just make sure it doesn't last forever. A lot of people feel that way. You just have to get over it and come to terms with yourself. Letting it eat you up forever is when there's something wrong, if that makes sense. I take no offense and if you told Violet, she would get it. If you dated James or any other guy, I would accept you and so would the rest of us. We'll be here for you, no matter what."

"Thank you," he says and hugs her. Her knees press into his chest, but he doesn't care. He holds her tightly and her arms wrap around him. "I'm here for you, too. I'll always be. If you feel insecure about this ever, talk to me."

When they pull away, Clementine can't help but smile. She almost tears up, feeling loved and accepted. She has the urge to tell him about her past. Her parents, her involvement in The New Frontier, all the others she's seen die. She decides not to. She can't. She doesn't want to scare him or to worry about him any more than he already is.

Minerva comes home from work. She walks up the stairs and once she opens her door, she smiles at the sight of the blonde in her bed. She looks so tired and scared, but she wears a smile on her face, trying to seem okay.

"What happened?" Minerva asks and Violet shakes her head.

"Same shit. Same stupid shit from my dad," Violet whispers and Minerva smiles.

Violet is always coming back to her. Violet will always be hers. Violet understands Minerva's trauma, and she understands Violet's.

Minerva sits next to Violet, cupping her face in her hands. Violet almost shivers, the cold rings on her fingers pressed to the blonde's already flushed cheeks. 

"What do you want?" Minerva whispers, rubbing her thumbs against her prey's cheeks. 

"For you to just touch me. I feel so alone," Violet whispers and Minerva nods. 

"I do, too." That feeling never goes away for Minerva. No one could truly understand her. Violet is close, but she doesn't understand her completely. 

Minerva leans in, but Violet speaks, "After this, can I go to Clementine's? Louis will be there."

"Clementine?" Minerva tilts her head a little at that before smirking. "Sure. Tell me if she tries anything."

"What do you mean?" Minerva shrugs.

"I don't trust her. She might try to drive us apart, like everyone else," Minerva explains and Violet sighs.

"I don't think she's like everyone else, though."

"You don't know that. You don't know her like you know me, or how you know Louis."

"I guess not. I'll tell you if she does anything."

"Good girl," the redhead praises and kisses her on the lips. "Now, let's enjoy ourselves, Vi."

"Hey, Lou. I need to do some cleaning up before Vi comes over," Clementine says and stands up.

"Do you need help cleaning?" Louis asks, also standing up.

"Yeah. Can you grab a garbage bag from the closet and meet me in my room?" Clementine asks and Louis nods.

Clementine walks up to her room and takes a deep breath before opening the door. She immediately spots her pin board. There's many pictures of nature, Clementine and friends, her dad and AJ, and lastly, Minerva. 

She hears Minerva's words in her head. She's reminded of The New Frontier and her desperation. She angrily starts ripping the pictures off the board and tossing them to the floor.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. 

And another.

Another.

And another.

Louis walks in on her tossing her photos to the floor. He squints confusedly. Clementine loves photography. That's until he picks up one of the pictures and turns it over. He sees the redhead, gripping her microphone and singing passionately. Purple lights shine on her. 

"Oh," is all he says and she turns around, letting out an angry huff.

"Can you put them in the garbage bag? I have way too many and I want them gone," she asks, meeting his eyes.

"Of course," he replies before pausing. "Are you sure? They're great photos, even if they are of her."

"Please just throw them away. I want nothing to do with that bitch. And I don't want Violet being reminded of her."

Louis doesn't reply and starts shoving them in the garbage bag. She opens up a drawer in her desk and starts flipping through picture after picture. There's some of the band.

"You can give them to Marlon, if you want," she says and hands Louis a couple.

"Actually, Marlon's quitting the band. Beth is an asshole and he doesn't want anything to do with Minerva at this point. I'll throw them out," Louis says and shoves them in the bag.

"Oh, okay. Good for him," she says, trying to manage a smile. 

After a few minutes, it seems that all pictures of the redhead are in the garbage bag and all the pins sit in a pile on the desk. Clementine sits on the floor, letting out a sigh. Louis looks up to the pin board.

"There's a lot of empty space," he comments, unsure of what else to say.

"I can fill it with more pictures, maybe some of you and Violet. People actually worthwhile," she replies and Louis smiles.

"Yeah. I'll help if you want."

"Sure."


	8. Chapter 8

Violet takes a breath, walking out of that damn house. She runs her fingers through her messy hair. She can't stay another night at Minerva's. She's so tired of this. Minerva only seems to use her for sex and affection. She says things, trying to drive Violet away from her friends. 

Violet is tired of hearing that she can't trust Louis. He's her best friend. Even if he doesn't like Minerva, he still cares for Violet. Violet knows that he dislikes Minerva because she is terrible for her. Yet Violet always crawls back to her. She still loves her. She can't help it, and he can't help his negative feelings toward her girlfriend.

Violet walks to the brunette's house, hoping to find some peace of mind there. She needs it. Being surrounded by Minerva and her family every day takes its toll. The way Sophie avoids her hurts. The way Minerva uses her and then just leaves for work hurts. The way her parents either ignore her or scream at her hurts. 

It takes around ten minutes to get to Clementine's. Violet has a feeling they know about Minerva. She hopes her hair doesn't give away what she just took part in. She rings the doorbell and rocks back and forth on her feet.

"Hey," Clementine greets her with a smile.

The moment her eyes meet the brunette's soft, honey ones, she can't help but give a genuine smile back. 

"Hi," Violet responds quietly. 

Clementine notices that Violet is wearing a shirt that Minerva would sometimes wear to shows. A black top with a large skeleton and some other designs on it. There's a bruise on her arm, but Clementine doesn't feel the need to intrude on the blonde's privacy. The blonde wears dark grey shorts and flip flops. 

Their eyes remain on each other's for a few seconds. Clementine notices the dark bags underneath Violet's eyes. Violet looks away and takes off her flip flops. Louis makes his way to the door with a cheerful smile. Most of the smile is genuine, but it's hard to keep up the smile when he notices how sickly Violet looks.

"Hey, Vi," he greets and she nods.

"Hi." She rubs one of her arms.

"My dad should be back soon from tutoring one of his students, and AJ is at a friend's house, but he'll be back for dinner," Clementine says and Violet shrugs.

"Sounds good," she replies.

"My little buddy," Louis says.

"Sorry if Louis and AJ end up annoying you. Louis loves to start trouble with AJ."

"Oh, I know. It's nice he's friends with someone who's actually his age though," Violet teases and Louis shrugs.

"AJ's more of an adult than I am," Louis replies, placing a hand on his chest.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie?" Clementine offers, gesturing to the TV in the living room. 

"What kind?" Violet asks and Clementine smiles.

"Well, horror movies are my favorite. And it's also funny when Louis gets scared."

"I love horror movies, too!" Violet exclaims and smirks at Louis. "And when Louis gets scared."

"Hey, it's only the jump scares that get me."

"Doesn't make it any less funny," Violet adds.

"Okay. Let's pick out a movie!" Clementine reaches for the remote.

Violet genuinely smiles when the movie is over. Her smile meets her eyes and her eyes seem to brighten. Clementine notices and can't help but smile. At least she did something good today. 

"Lee should be back any minute, right?" Louis asks and Clementine nods.

"Yeah, AJ texted me on Lee's phone, not too long ago," she replies and stands up. 

"You'll like him, Vi. He's stubborn like you." Louis pokes her, making her smack his arm.

"I'm not."

"Sure, sure."

"Shut up, asshole." She rolls her eyes.

Clementine laughs at the interaction. Violet's eyes drift over to the giggling girl. They make eye contact and Clementine stops her giggling, continuing to smile. The blonde manages a small smile back before looking away. 

The door then opens and all the teens walk over to the door. Lee walks over and hugs his daughter before ruffling her curls. She pouts at him before smiling.

"Louis!" AJ cheers and gives the older guy a high five. He turns to Violet and gives her a smile. "Violet?" She nods.

"Uh, hey."

"Hi," he says and gives her an excited smile. "You guys are staying for dinner, right? Dad said so."

"Yeah, bud," Louis replies, giving him a thumbs up. 

"Yes!" AJ cheers.

"Hi, Violet. Nice to meet you." He holds out his hand and she takes it, shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Everett," Violet says with a small smile.

"You can call me Lee," he says as he lets go of her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Lee." 

"Are you in Clem's grade?" He asks, placing a hand on his hip.

"Yeah," she replies. 

"Do you guys want anything in particular? I'm thinking of ordering out," Lee says, addressing the group. He then takes his phone from his pocket.

"Pizza," Louis answers quickly.

"Yeah, pizza," AJ agrees with a smile.

"You girls have a problem with that?" Lee looks to the two and they shake their heads. "Okay. One cheese pizza and one meatball, sound good?"

"Yeah," they all agree.

"I'm sorry for not cooking, I'm a little tired," Lee apologizes as he finds the pizza place's number.

"It's fine. We all love pizza," Louis replies. 

"Yeah, don't worry about us." Violet waves her hand. 

Lee then calls the number and begins ordering. 

"Can you play with me?" AJ asks and Louis nods.

"You two can come, but don't feel like you have to or anything," Louis says and Clementine shrugs.

"Want to see my room?" Clementine offers and Violet shrugs.

"Anything's okay with me."

"Okay, let's go upstairs then."

"We'll be in the basement," Louis says as they walk over to the door which leads to it.

Violet then follows the brunette up the stairs. There's four bedrooms. Violet guesses one is a guest room or maybe an office. Clementine opens the fourth door and Violet looks around the room.

The walls are a light purple, a pin board on one, covered in pictures, and a few posters are placed around the rest of the space. She has a queen sized bed up against the wall with white bedding covering it. Theres a small table with one drawer next to it. There's a small desk on another side, covered in a few books and pictures. The pin board sits above it. She then has a mirror and a dresser. 

"I like your room," Violet compliments, looking at the posters. "And I love this poster."

"Me too. It's my favorite one." She walks over and looks at it with a smile. "You like them, too?"

"Yeah, I love Radiohead," Violet replies and Clementine smiles even wider.

Clementine takes a small bluetooth speaker from a drawer in her desk and turns it on. She shuffles the band and Fake Plastic Trees plays. Violet smiles.

Clementine sits on her bed and pats the spot next to her. Violet hesitantly sits next to her. Minnie's words echo though her mind, but she pushes them away. She's actually happy with Clementine. 

"So, you went to Ercison's with Louis?" Clementine asks and Violet nods.

"Yeah, it was awful. And of course when I go back to a regular school, all of us Ericson's kids don't meet the requirements and get held back," Violet replies, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, at least I got to meet all of you."

"Yeah, I'm...happy I met you," Violet says shyly and Clementine giggles. Violet's cheeks are a light shade of pink. 

Cute, Clementine thinks to herself. 

"So, do you do any clubs after school?" Clementine asks, laying back on the bed. Her shirt moves up a little, revealing her toned stomach.

"Archery," the blonde replies, avoiding looking at the girl's stomach.

"That's so cool. I never met anyone else who was in that club," Clementine responds and Violet shrugs.

"Yeah, it's a small club. I don't have a problem with that though. You can probably tell, but I'm not uh, good with people."

"You seem fine to me. I mean, I thought you hated me at first, but we're good now," Clementine replies assuringly. 

Violet rubs the back of her neck nervously at that. "Thanks." Violet eyes drift over to the pictures on the board. "So, you're a photographer?"

"I guess. I like taking pictures, but I'm not a professional or anything." She shrugs.

"Minnie showed me your pictures before. I think they're really good. You catch people at the right moments. You don't take pictures randomly. You put thought into them," Violet compliments, her green eyes meeting honey ones.

Her eyes are gentle and her smile meets them, making them squint a little. Clementine notices how long her eyelashes are again, except this time, there's no makeup on. 

"I used to draw. I would've probably used one of your pictures as a reference or something." Violet fidgets a little and Clementine blushes a little at that.

"That'd be cool. I have a lot of pictures. I can let you borrow some or send them to you, if you want."

"Maybe if I get back into it." Violet blushes even more, tucking strands of blonde behind her ear. "I wasn't ever really good at it."

"I bet you were."

"I really wasn't." Violet chuckles. 

"Louis told me you also play guitar." Violet sighs at that.

"Yeah, a little. I'm not good or anything."

"Well, Louis said you were good," Clementine says with raised eyebrows.

"He's just saying that."

"I don't think so," Clementine continues. 

"Whatever. What about you? Are you into anything else?" Violet changes the topic.

"Baseball." Violet rolls her eyes. "What, you don't like baseball?"

"No," Violet scoffs. 

"Why not?" Clementine sits up. 

"I just don't. I don't really like sports in general."

Violet shakes her head, reminded of her father. He sits with a beer in hand, watching sport after sport. The sound of cheering and narrators always filled his space. Sometimes the sports would keep him distracted. Other times, he would yell at her and it would be playing in the background. 

Clementine notices how tense Violet has gotten. Her shoulders are scrunched up and it seems like her posture has gotten even worse. 

"At least you have archery."

"Yeah," Violet replies. 

"Are you going away for college?" Violet shakes her head.

"I'm staying here, but I'm going to stay in the dorms. I won't stay with my parents any more than I have to. What about you?"

"Me too. I wanted to stay close to AJ and my dad. I think I'm staying here, too."

"So, we're both going to WVU?" Violet asks and Clementine nods.

"That's cool. Do you know what you're doing?" 

Violet chuckles at that. "Hell no."

Clementine chuckles. "Me neither."

"You could probably do something in photography," Violet says, gesturing to the pictures. 

"Yeah, true. I'm afraid of losing my passion, since it would be a job. I don't mind it being a hobby, as long as I get to do it."

"I get that." Violet shrugs. "You have the talent though." Clementine blushes a little more. 

"I could take you for a walk and we can take pictures. It's fun," Clementine offers and Violet nods. 

"That sounds nice."

"I sometimes go with Louis to the park and in the woods. We mess around and take pictures. You should come next time."

"I'd like to." 

Violet wonders if Minnie will get mad at her if she does. If she hangs out with Louis too much, Minnie gets upset. Also, it seems like Minnie doesn't like Clementine all of a sudden. Their conversation about Violet having dinner here was strange. 

"How's your summer been so far?" Clementine asks, kicking her legs off the side of the bed.

"It's okay. I'm sure you know about Minnie and I..."

"You're back together," Clementine finishes the thought. 

"Yeah."

"Are you happy, at least?" Violet flinches at the question.

At times, yes. For the majority of it, no. She feels comforted though, always having Minerva. Once high school ends, she won't have her parents. Her grandma has been gone. She may lose all her friends because of college and distance, that's what she's heard. It's what she's expecting.

Violet fidgets with her hands, lost in thought. Clementine bites her lip at that. She can tell Violet isn't happy.

"I think I'm happy," Violet finally replies, not meeting Clementine's eyes.

"Well, that's good. Louis and I are here for you."

Are you really, Violet thinks. She keeps her mouth shut though. 

"Thank you. I'm glad I have Minnie and you guys."

Clementine wants to push her farther, ask about what she knows. Does Violet know about Minerva and Sophie's involvement? Does Violet know about her and The New Frontier? 

She also wants to know how Violet feels about the cheating. Obviously, she doesn't feel good about it, but how does she just look past it?

Violet sees the look on Clementine's face at the mention of Minnie. 

"Minnie isn't that bad. It can be a lot to put up with me, so I'm grateful she's stayed. She's made mistakes, but she's always there for me in the end," Violet defends her. "She understands me better than anyone," Violet whispers.

"Hey, hey. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry," Clementine apologizes. 

Her expression is soft and her voice is quiet, like silk to Violet's ears. 

"Let's just not talk about her right now." Violet tries to force a smile but gives up almost immediately.

"Are you okay?" Clementine hesitates before placing a hand on her pale arm. 

"Yeah, I'm...I'm fine. Let's just change the topic."

"Girls, the pizza is here!" Lee yells up to them.

The two look at each other for a moment. Radiohead continues to play in the background. Clementine is the first to move. She stands up and gives Violet a small, assuring smile. It's genuine. Violet can see that she really cares, that whatever she says next is sincere.

"I'm here for you. I won't tell Louis or anyone anything you tell me. So, if you're not okay, you can tell me." She walks over and turns off the speaker and the music. "Let's go have some pizza."

"Thanks," Violet replies, rubbing her arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do you guys like the story? any suggestions?


	9. Chapter 9

"So, Violet. Louis said you went to the same boarding school as him?" Lee tries to make conversation. His voice is calm and gentle.

He's a large man, but he's not as intimidating as one may think. 

"Yeah, that's where we met," Violet replies before taking a bite of her plain pizza. 

"Did you like it there?" 

"Um, not really. I'm grateful I got to meet my friends and everything, but I hated it there. I felt so...not normal and alone most of the time."

"I understand that." Lee nods his head. "During my divorce, I felt very alone, except for my two kids here. They made everything better."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Violet says sincerely.

"Don't be," Clementine replies.

"Yeah, I was the one who really wanted the divorce," Lee says, not going farther than that on the topic.

AJ raises his eyebrows but doesn't add anything to that. He takes a big bite into his pizza, grease covering his small hands. There's an awkward silence until AJ lets out a burp. Clementine gives him a look before Louis lets out a louder burp.

Lee rolls his eyes at that, smiling a little himself. "Hey, have some manners. We have a guest." 

"It's fine," Violet assures. Her father is much more disgusting than that. 

"So, you three, are you all excited for senior year?" Lee begins another conversation.

"Yeah," Violet replies. She can't wait to finish high school and get away from her family.

"Kind of. I'm scared for the end of it, becoming an adult and all of that."

"I agree with that," Clementine adds, shrugging to Louis.

"You'll all do great," Lee assures. "Enough with that scary adult talk. What do you like to do? Any hobbies?"

"Archery," Violet answers and Louis nods.

"She's a good shot," he compliments.

"You should show me some time," Clementine adds and Violet nods. She raises her eyebrows at that. 

"I will, if you want."

"Get some pictures of it, Clem. That would be something new to get."

"Yeah. Could I take pictures of you while you practice, Violet?" There's a glint in Clementine's eyes and Louis smiles at that. 

"Um, sure." Violet tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear.

She hopes there won't be close-up pictures of her face, but if it makes her friend happy, she decides it's worth it. 

"Thank you guys for coming over. Clementine hasn't brought friends over in a little while, and I miss the extra company," Lee voices his gratitude.

"Thank you for letting us come over, and for the pizza." Louis raises his pizza a little at the mention of it.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Everett," Violet says with a small smile. "And thanks for inviting us over, Clem."

"You're welcome. And call me Lee. You're not a stranger."

"Thank you, Lee," she corrects herself before getting back to her pizza.

Clementine smiles widely at the interactions. In this moment, her world seems so bright. She feels her life coming together once again. She won't let Minerva or her past get in the way of it. 

Minerva taps her foot angrily. She sits on a couch in an old warehouse. Many of her fellow Delta members surround her, though many don't pay attention to her. She places the dab pen into her lap and Beth grabs it. 

"So, Clementine met up with you? Didn't expect that from her. She's usually pretty quiet." Beth shrugs.

"Yeah, and just like everyone else, she tries to get in the way of Violet and me." Minerva points to her chest, seething. 

"Don't let her. After all you've been through, with your parents, with Violet, you can't let anyone get in the way."

"I know. I love Violet. I won't let her slip away from me." She meets Beth's eyes and the girl smiles.

"Good."

"Clementine Hutchison?" One of her friends asks, overhearing the conversation. She leans over the couch and glances to the two.

"Clementine Everett now," Minerva corrects and Paula nods.

"That's nice. She's got a new family now. Don't mess with her, Minnie. You know she's got it just as bad as you."

"Well, if she messes with Minerva and Sophie, I think it's deserved," Beth adds.

"I guess that's fair."

"No, no. She isn't messing with Sophie. She actually likes Sophie. As everyone does," Minerva replies, digging her nails into the couch cushion.

"How's she messin' with ya?" The brunette inquires, tilting her head a little. Her ponytail moves along with her head.

"She's saying I shouldn't be with Violet, acting like she knows me. Like she knows Violet. She thinks I don't love Violet. Bullshit."

Paula doubts Minerva really loves Violet. Maybe she does. Paula at least knows Minerva adores the attention, having someone by her side. Her parents don't give her any of that. She keeps her mouth shut though. 

"She's just watching out for Violet," Paula defends her. "Just leave her be for now."

"What did you say back to her?" Beth rests her head on her knees, which are pulled to her chest. She wears a smirk, loving the drama.

"I said I'd reveal her involvement in The New Frontier."

"Damn," Paula almost shouts. Her eyebrows are raised. "Well, I don't blame her. If she knew the truth, she wouldn't want to be one of us. Makes sense she'd join the other side."

"Yeah, true. Such a shame. I didn't expect her to go against Minerva. Imagine someone with that spirit with us. And she'd fit in too."

"Yeah, she's a misfit. Got some of the trauma that we all have," Minerva agrees. She looks at her painted nails, watching the way her crimson nails shine. "Maybe I could get to her join."

"That would be interesting," Beth adds.

"Are you thinking about getting Violet to join?" Paula asks.

"Of course not. She wouldn't want to be involved in something like this. I want to protect her anyway," Minerva replies and Paula shrugs.

"That's fair." Paula stands up straight and cracks her neck. "Well, I gotta go. Lilly has a job for me."

"Bye," the other two say in unison.

"Paula's so nosy," Minerva comments once the girl is out of earshot.

"She's trustworthy at least," Beth defends her.

"That's true."

"Do you think this Clementine drama will go any further?" Beth asks, meeting Minerva's eyes.

"I hope so. She's very interesting. And very cute when riled up." 

Beth almost lets out a laugh at that. Minerva always loves messing with people. It's no surprise Clementine has to deal with this. 

"Besides, even if this does go further, I have a ton of information. I know of her past, how her parents died, and an idea of who killed them. Surely, she won't pursue this any further when all of that information is on the line."

"True," Beth agrees. 

"I'll drive Violet home," Louis offers once they finish cleaning up the dishes.

"Okay, thanks." Violet nods.

"You're invited to stay over my place," Louis offers and she nods.

She doesn't want to go back home. She hasn't seen her dad in days. She doesn't want to see him again. And her mom. She doesn't want to see her again either. 

"Yeah, thank you. I'll stay the night."

"Thanks for coming over," Lee says, giving the two a wave before walking up the stairs. "C'mon, AJ. Let's go upstairs and start getting you ready for bed."

"Okay, Dad." He replies and stops by the stairs. He gives the two a wave. "Thanks for playing with me, Louis. And thanks for coming over, Violet."

"No problem, kiddo," Louis says, waving back. "Thanks for having us over, Lee."

"Thanks for having us over and for the dinner," Violet adds. 

Her eyes meet Clementine's last and the girl gives her a bright smile. She appreciates how genuine her smile is. It's really beautiful.

"Bye, thanks for coming over." Clementine waves.

The two walk out of the house and Clementine locks the door behind them. 

"Do you have any bruises? Anything? Has your mom given you any trouble? Any bad food?" Louis starts speaking really fast. He begins looking Violet up and down.

"I'm fine. I uh..." She pauses and he looks for her to speak. "I stayed with Minnie. I barely saw my parents." She regrets sharing this information, but whether he admits it or not, staying with Minerva is safer than staying with her family.

"Oh," is all he can say. What Sophie told him has just been confirmed. He lets out a sigh at that. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Fine, let's get in the car."

It's a quiet drive back to his house.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys enjoy the story and the turns it’s taking.

"Thanks for coming over." Clementine hands Sophie a cup of tea.

Clementine's house is empty, except for these two. Sophie wears casual clothing, a grey t-shirt and jeans. She quickly put herself together when Clementine asked to speak with her.

"No problem. I'm so sorry about Minnie." She then blows on her tea. 

"You don't have to apologize for her." Clementine watches as she blows on her tea. "I just want you to explain."

"Okay, okay. Yeah." She takes a deep breath. "I've never told anyone before. Not Mitch, not my parents."

"Thanks for telling me then." Clementine gives her an assuring smile.

"As you know, Minerva's a lesbian. My parents ended up finding out. Minerva was kissing one of her friends in fifth grade. My parents ended up hassling her about it, and she came out. My parents always gave Minerva and me trouble. They wanted us to be perfect and for our family to be impressed. After that, they gave Minerva more and more trouble." Sophie pauses, taking in a shaky breath. 

"As you know, my parents then adopted Tenn. After a while, they realized we weren't perfect children, and they sent all of us away from home, to Ericson's. And of course, surrounding troubled kids by troubled kids makes more trouble. We found out about Delta, a group full of misfits who helped misfits. That kind of thing. There were rumors and I was against it, but Minnie wasn't. 

"Once we were out of Ericson's and back in the real world, Minnie joined. And I followed, to make sure Minnie didn't get in any real trouble. That group is full of some fucked up people. Minnie told them about our childhood and her trauma. Throughout her time there, they convinced her she belonged, and after all the trauma she went through, she deserved happiness. They convinced her to steal and sell drugs, all of that stuff. She deserved money. I also participated. There would be...punishments if I was in the group and didn't do work. 

"They also later convinced her she deserved Violet. So, now she holds onto Violet like some fucking prize she earned. In the beginning, she loved Vi, but now, I don't know. She treats her like shit, but she's convinced that Vi is happy. She believes they're meant to be together or some shit. This fucking group changed my sister." Tears begin to pool in her eyes and tumble down her cheeks. She wipes them away with her free hand.

"Even though I left, I still can't escape them. My sister is still with them. And I'm scared Vi will get involved, and now you're getting involved, and Minerva is threatening you. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry you went through what you did." Clementine reaches out and they hold hands. Sophie gives her a grateful smile. 

Clementine takes a napkin from the kitchen table and hands it to her. She wipes her eyes and sniffles. 

"Can you um, tell me about you and The New Froniter?" Sophie asks. "And where's your mark? It's usually on the neck." Sophie places a hand on her own neck at the mention of it.

Clementine lets out a deep sighs and rips the bandage off her arm. She's always covering her mark. Luckily, Lee never really asked and respected her privacy. She said there was a scar there and she really didn't like it. No one ever pushed her further. Maybe Louis a few times, insisting that she would be beautiful without it.

"So, that's the scar you're always hiding..." Sophie reaches out and softly presses her fingers to the brand. "Fuck. I didn't put the pieces together."

"Yeah..." They sit in silence for a moment. 

They take in their positions, what they've done to be where they are now. Sophie pulls her arm away and sips from her tea. She tries to ground herself.

"I joined the The New Frontier back when I was thirteen. Lee got a divorce. This was right after he adopted AJ. His wife cheated on him and obviously, things ended. He wasn't doing well with money, so I joined The New Frontier. I would lie and say I got dinner at a friend's house. I would really eat with other members or buy myself dinner with the money I earned. I bought AJ toys, so Lee wouldn't have to. I would put extra money in Lee's wallet without him knowing. 

"I ended up leaving once Lee was doing better financially. The group let me go, but I will always be attached to them in some way. I will always have the brand. That's the whole point of it; to make sure you never betray them. 

"I had a pretty good time with them, but there was a lot of corruption and sick people in that group. Gabe, his biological dad is one of the leaders. He's a real asshole."

"Did Gabe know? Does anyone else know?"

"Only Gabe and his Uncle Javi. Javi's a good guy. He understood why I was involved, even if he didn't really approve of it."

"At least you had people who could understand you while you went through all of that," Sophie says quietly with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm grateful for that."

"So, Minerva's threatened to tell everyone about your past with them?" Sophie raises her eyebrows.

"Yeah, and that puts my whole family in danger, even you guys. Maybe even herself. The New Frontier will think I'm spreading information or something," Clementine states with frustration. 

"Yeah, that's true. Shit."

"Do you know how she found out?"

"I don't, sadly. Maybe they have information on many members of the Frontier." Sophie shrugs.

"I can't believe another group like the Frontier exists," Clementine mutters to herself.

"The Delta is just as bad or maybe even worse. They take kids and adults in bad situations and make them do terrible shit. Then, they threaten them to keep them in the group, and brainwash them," Sophie explains with empty eyes.

"The New Frontier wasn't that bad. It was my choice to join, and my choice to leave. Still, I'll always have the mark. I can't escape them." 

"Here, let me help you cover up the brand," Sophie offers, holding up the bandages. 

"Thanks." Clementine holds her arm for Sophie and she wraps it up once again. 

"If Minerva tries anything, I have your back. So do the other guys, even if they're in the dark."

"What are we going to about Violet?" Clementine asks.

"Just try to get her out of that relationship. Minerva's manipulating her the same way the Delta manipulated her. If we can just make her see that, we can help her," Sophie says, picking up her tea cup and watching the stream rise. "I've tried so hard to do that though. All of us have. And look, she's back with her again."

"That's true," Clementine agrees. 

"Let's just treat Violet right. It's the least we can do. I really think that someday she'll see through Minerva's actions."

"I think so, too."

Clementine stands in her room, frustration consuming her. She paces her room with heavy feet, almost stomping with each step. 

How did Minerva find out? How dare she threaten her? 

She grabs her phone and goes to text someone she really doesn’t want to. She sighs when she immediately gets a message back. He’s away. She can’t meet up with him right now. She texts him and asks if he’d be up for meeting up with her when he’s back. She hates texting him. She wishes she doesn’t have to sink to this level of desperation, but she rather him than Minerva or The New Frontier.

He texts her back, agreeing to meeting up, and she lets out a relieved sigh. She sits back on her bed and drops her phone to the side of her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hopefully this chapter makes up for the short chapters. hope you enjoyed and see you in the next one!

Weeks pass and Louis worries. He worries and worries. He sends texts again and again to Violet. He invites her out and gets excuses, being left on read, and sometimes her not even opening the messages until hours or days later. All he can do is tell everyone and blame Minerva.

Sophie's known about this and it's hurt her every time. She's too afraid to hurt Violet, though. She's heard them fight and some other things she didn't want to hear. She's afraid her getting involved will only worsen the conditions they're in.

Minerva can't stop thinking about Clementine. She wonders what makes her tick, and if she'll actually take Violet from her. She compares Clementine to herself. The way the girl had to resort to going The New Frontier, just as she resulted in going to the Delta. She likes the fire she saw in the girl, the hatred in her eyes. She remembers when the girl was one of her fans, looking at her with hungry and loving eyes. She wants that again, but she also enjoys the hatred. She enjoys just watching Clementine do her thing, keep her spirit. 

One day, she was out, and spotted Clementine. She was going to pick up snacks from the store, but ended up getting sidetracked. She wanted to make herself known and watch that girl snap. She purposely bumped into Clementine, making the girl begin to apologize out of politeness, until she saw those blue eyes. She pushed Minerva away and gave her a look of pure disgust before stomping away. God. Minerva loves the attention. She has always hated the negative attention from her parents and others, but Clementine is something else.

As these weeks pass, Minerva clings to Violet, refusing to lose her to anyone. Violet got a job, so her free hours end up revolving around Minerva once again. Minerva keeps calling her over and sleeping with her. Violet becomes miserable. She feels gross, like the only thing she's good for is sex. They barely talk anymore and Violet feels like the love is gone. People's words start to repeat, playing over and over in her head.

"Please, leave her, Vi. You'll be so much happier."

"This is unhealthy. You can't keep doing this to yourself!"

She wonders if Minerva even loves her. She misses Louis, but she's afraid of Minerva getting upset again. Minerva's been getting upset at the mention of people besides her. Especially Clementine. 

Today, Clementine messages Violet and asks her to hang out. She suggests going out to eat or taking a walk together. Minerva sees the message and flips.

"Am I not good enough?" She snaps. "I worked so hard and I've spent so much time with you. Why would you want to spend time with her over me?"

"Because she's my friend," Violet raises her voice. "And so is Louis. And I want to see my friends. Not just you."

"Do you not love me anymore, Violet?" Minerva pokes her finger into Violet's chest. She's seething, her chest rising and falling quickly.

"I-I do. I always have, Minerva."

"She wants to break us apart. Why would you want to spend time with her? It's clear you want to get away from me, Violet!" 

"No, she doesn't. She's said no such thing to me! And I don't want to get away from you! Please, believe me!"

"Are you going to cheat on me? I'm fine with letting her in on the relationship...but I swear to god if you cheat on me, Violet..."

"How dare you say that!" Violet's voice cracks. "You've cheated on me and broken my heart so many goddamn times! You can't accuse me of cheating on you! And what do you mean 'letting her in the on the relationship'?" Violet's face is becoming bright red. 

"I've broken your heart so many times? I've taken care of you so many times! How many times have I let you cry on my shoulder? Slept with you?" Minerva shouts.

"Just because you sleep with me doesn't mean I can just ignore the fact you've cheated on me!"

"We should just break up then, Violet! That must be what you want! You ungrateful bitch!"

"Maybe we should!" The words quickly leave the blonde's mouth and the moment they do, she regrets them. 

"Then, it's over!" Minerva seethes. 

"Minerva, I-I didn't mean—"

Minerva ignores her. "Violet, this may be over, but you don't you dare to go to Clementine. She's mine."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Violet takes a step back. "What do you mean by that?" She repeats herself, placing her hands on her hips.

"She's mine. I know secrets about her no one else knows. She understands me in ways you don't. So, don't you dare take her from me!"

"How can you say that? You're not even friends." Violet squints at her confusedly. "What do you mean I don't understand you—"

"Get out, Violet." Fear runs through Violet. She can't be alone.

She hasn't spoken to Louis in weeks because of Minerva. She can't go back to her parents. Minerva can't just leave her like this.

"Get out," Minerva repeats herself and points to the door.

She listens, fear running through her. She doesn't want Minerva to hit her. Minerva has rarely done such a thing, but seeing her like this, she's afraid she may resort to it.

She walks out of the house on the verge of tears. They've broken up a few times. They always end up back in each other's arms though. They're meant to be. That's how it seems. Even though Violet's miserable, she still hopes for that again.

She can't help but wonder what Minerva meant about Clementine. It makes her stomach churn. Still, she texts Clementine back and agrees to their plans.

Minerva feels disgust at the thought of Clementine and Violet moving on without her. The two girls she's interested in the most abandoning her, just like everyone else tries to. She refuses to let Clementine get away, especially since she's causing the shift in her and Violet's relationship.

She wouldn't mind Clementine joining them. She can get bored of Violet at times. She gets bored of everyone. Clementine joining the relationship can spice things up and maybe that can be the push to get Violet to join Delta. 

She's been hesitant about Violet joining, concerns with safety and with Violet finally pulling the plug on this relationship. But joining Delta could make the two inseparable. They'd both have their pasts, their trauma, along with this group. They would understand each other better than anyone. Clementine, too. Clementine may not have the same trauma, but she's fucked up all the same. 

Minerva wonders what she can do to win over Clementine. She's sure Violet will come back, as she always does. Unless Clementine gets in the way, or Louis really does something this time. 

Violet arrives at Clementine's house and immediately feels lighter. The positive memories from her dinner there come flooding back in her mind. She smiles a little at the thought. Violet texts Clementine before walking up the path to Clementine's door. Once she gets on the first step, Clementine opens the door. 

She looks a bit more tired than usual, but beautiful as always. Her curls are down and she wears her blue hat along with a red t-shirt and black shorts. Her camera is hanging around her neck, along with a string bag resting on her back. She also wears a smile and the blonde blushes a little at the sight. Clementine really is beautiful. She feels insecure in her old t-shirt and shorts.

"Hey," Clementine greets her as she shuts the door behind her. 

They walk down the stairs together in unison.

"Hi," Violet replies, awkwardly tucking strands of hair behind her ear.

"Do you have anywhere you want to go? I don't mind walking around and taking pictures. I know some places."

"Yeah, I do," Violet replies.

"Oh, by the way, your phone has a pretty good camera. You could take some good pictures on it." Clementine points to her hand.

"Really? Eh, I'm really not good at that."

"Just give it a try," Clementine suggests, her voice cheery. 

Violet doesn't feel pressured, but she gives in, giving the girl a nod in response. In that moment, Clementine reminds her of Louis. 

"Could I take pictures of you?" Clementine asks and Violet blushes.

"What?"

"You'd be a great subject, Vi."

"I don't think so," Violet mutters, fidgeting with her phone. She hasn't looked in a mirror, but she figures she looks horrible. Especially in comparison to Clementine.

"That's not true. You're really pretty," Clementine compliments her, blushing a little herself. Clementine notices how Violet is in rough shape, but even in the shape she is, she still manages to be so pretty. 

Clementine has the urge to ask Violet what's bothering her, but decides she rather help Violet forget for some time. Just as Clementine needs to forget about Minerva and her past issues.

Violet's eyes widen at the compliment. The only other person who said such a thing was Minnie. And she doesn't want to think about her right now. 

"Fine," Violet gives in. She doesn't want to disappoint Clementine. Clementine invited her to hang out anyway. 

"So, where do you want to go?" Violet smiles at the question.

The two walk almost an hour over to a hiking trail two towns over. They make chitchat, cracking small jokes, some about themselves or Louis. They talk about their classes and their worst teachers. They start sharing more and more, each story getting a bit more personal. 

In this moment, it's just them and the people passing by. All their issues are forgotten and they seem to be long gone. 

"I've never been in a hiking trail. I didn't even know one was so close. I usually just walked around in the woods," Clementine says, smiling as they walk through the wooded area.

It's a Wednesday and it's almost three, so it's pretty much empty. They hear some people ahead and a few dogs bark in the distance. That's pretty much it.

"Yeah, I've done that too. Sometimes, I just need the quiet. I actually got lost in the woods one day and ended up here. My mom got pretty pissed at me once I found my way back and got home," Violet recalls and she loses her smile the further she gets into the story.

"You must've made her worried sick," Clementine replies with a small smile.

"No, actually, when I came home, I woke up my dad. She doesn't really like it when he's awake. Sometimes when he's sober, he's worse than when he's drunk..." Violet lets out before her eyes widen. "Um, sorry. You can forget about all that."

"Don't worry about me. You can talk to me, about anything. All of this." She motions with her hands. "I'm here for you, Vi." She reaches out and rubs Violet's back.

"Yeah." Violet smiles. "I know."

"Do you want to talk about any of that?" Clementine pulls Violet a little closer and they stop their walk.

"Honestly, not really. I want to get away from it. I've dealt with it for so long," Violet admits and Clementine nods in understanding. 

"Can I ask you a question, and then we can drop this topic?" Clementine asks and Violet thinks for a moment. Then, she nods. "You look tired. Have your parents been bothering you? Are you really all right?”

"I haven't been staying with them," Violet admits, trying to get Clementine to drop the topic, and stop worrying.

"Who have you been staying with then?"

"Um, actually, I've been staying with Minnie."

"Have you been happy staying with her?" 

No, Violet answers in her head. 

"It's been fine. It's better than my parent's place."

"Is everything okay? I don't mean to pry; it's none of my business, but Minerva...I just don't trust her. I want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Violet says with shakiness in her voice.

"Really?" Clementine raises her eyebrows. "It's okay, you can talk to me."

"I'm...I'm not," Violet admits and lets out a sigh. She feels a weight lifted off my chest. "We broke up. Me and Minnie."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Clementine goes to hug her and meets Violet's eyes. Violet decides to make the move and wrap her arms around Clementine. "It's going to be okay."

"I want to get away from her, but I don't."

"It's okay. It'll get better," Clementine assures and they pull away. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"I want to stay with Louis, but I haven't spoken to him in a little while. I feel so bad about it, but I wanted to keep Minnie happy. I've been putting Minnie over everyone...I'm a terrible friend."

"No, you're not. You're just in a bad situation, an unhealthy relationship. Don't worry about Louis or anyone. Let's have a nice day and you can stay at my place."

"I don't want to bother—"

"No, Lee loves you already. He'll be okay with it," Clementine assures and then grabs Violet's hand. "C'mon. Let's go take some pictures and forget about Minnie."

Clementine smiles and Violet sees through it. Some of it's genuine, but it doesn't completely meet her eyes. She wonders if Minnie caused Clementine trouble. She hopes not. Minnie can be an asshole. She doesn't want others to go through what she's been going through, and possibly worse.

Violet gives in and smiles, trying to let the thoughts go away. Minnie's had a hold on her for so long, and she wants Minnie to lose that grip. For just one night. And maybe more.

Today isn't the hottest out of all the summer days. Still, the heat is starting to get to the girls. Luckily, the trees provide lots of shade, cooling them down with every minute of walking. The trees and their leaves sway with the wind. The calming scent of Clementine and nature fills Violet's nose, filling her with peace. When Violet isn't paying attention, Clementine snaps a picture. Violet jumps at the noise and immediately pouts.

"I must look gross," Violet comments while motioning for Clementine to give her the camera. "I'm all hot and sweaty."

"Well, you don't." Clementine shows her the picture.

Violet's hair is swaying in the wind and she wears a small smile on her face. Her cheeks are flushed and even though there are bags under her eyes, she looks wide awake. Clementine admires the picture. Violet really is beautiful. Violet doesn't see what Clementine sees though and looks away. 

"You look great," Clementine compliments and Violet shrugs.

"Thanks."

"Do you want to sit on that rock? I brought some extra water, if you need it."

"Are you sure there's enough for you?" Violet asks as she sits down.

"Yeah." Clementine slides her bag off her shoulders and hands Violet a water bottle. 

"Are you having a good time?" Clementine asks after Violet is finished chugging half the bottle.

As Violet answers, the brunette proceeds to drink. "Yeah, I really am. It's nice being out here. I usually go out by myself or with Louis, but it's really nice being out here with you."

"I like being with you, too. Now, how much farther do you want to go?" Clementine asks, placing her bottle back in the bag.

"There's a pond not too far. We can stop there and you can take some nice pictures there."

"Okay, sounds good."

Clementine admires Violet as she stands up. She wipes some dirt off her backside and legs. Clementine admires how long her legs are and how cute she is with flushed cheeks. 

In that moment, Clementine begins to recognize that feeling in her chest in stomach. She's not nervous, maybe a little. She can't let Violet down. This feeling isn't negative though. She lets out a sigh when she starts to understand what she's feeling.

Damn it. The timing isn't the best, but Clementine gives in. She's falling for Violet. Maybe.

Okay, she is. Clementine pauses for a moment and smiles. And she's okay with it. 

This won't be like Gabe. It may be tougher than her situation with Gabe, but damn, Violet is so much better. She's much more on her level. 

Her phone buzzes and immediately her stomach drops. No, don't ruin the moment. Don't ruin her and Violet's day.

"Clem, are you okay?" Violet tilts her head and Clementine nods. 

"The heat's getting to me a little, but I'm fine. I wanna see the pond."

"Are you sure? Rest up if you need to."

"I will if I need to, but I'm fine." Clementine then begins to walk ahead of Violet. She turns back with a smirk. "C'mon. I don't want to leave you behind."

"Don't leave me, shithead." Violet laughs with a hint of confusion on her face.

"So mean." Clementine pouts.

Clementine's phone buzzes again and she lets out a sigh when it continues. Please, just let it be Lee. She pulls it out and Violet glances at the phone.

"You still talk to Gabe?" Violet raises her eyebrows.

"No, must've been accidental." She denies the call and puts the phone back in her pocket.

"Oh."


	12. Chapter 12

Violet wakes up and immediately her heart starts racing when she doesn't recognize where she is. That's until she looks to the bedside table next to her and sees a picture of Clementine, AJ and Lee. She lets out a relieved sigh, pushing her hair from her face. She smiles to herself, seeing the genuine smiles on their faces. They match the smiles they all shared last night. 

To Violet's surprise, Lee was delighted to have her stay for dinner and the night. He set up the guest room just for her and didn't ask questions about her situation. She would've lied anyway, but she appreciated the gesture. 

She gets out of bed and grabs the clothes Clementine gave her. Violet doesn't have much, even at her own house. The few pairs of clothes she usually has are at Minerva's anyway. Maybe she'll hang out with Minerva once more just to get her clothes. 

She slips into ripped jean shorts and a red shirt. They smell like Clementine. Violet brings the shirt to her nose and breathes in her calming scent. Not Minerva. She tries to assure herself that’s the reason why she finds Clementine’s smell so calming. She blushes a little and fixes her shirt. She folds her pajamas, just a t-shirt and spandex shorts. 

She leaves them folded on the bedside table. She decides she'll do her laundry herself if Lee gives her permission. 

She walks down the stairs and then into the kitchen. Clementine has her hair in pigtails and she still wears her pajamas. Lee is sipping at some coffee, typing away at his phone periodically. Violet awkwardly stands in the doorway until Clementine motions for her to come in. 

"How'd you sleep?" Clementine asks, standing up and walking over to the coffee maker. 

"Good. Thank you so much."

"Morning, Violet." Lee gives her a smile.

"Good morning, Lee. Thanks for letting me stay."

"No problem. We enjoy the company." He looks over at Clementine, who sheepishly nods.

"Want some coffee?" Clementine asks, holding up the full pot. 

"Sure, thanks."

"You can stay the night again, if you need," Lee offers with a small nod of his head.

"I'll keep it in mind. Thank you."

Clementine walks over with a full cup of coffee. She places it on the table and then sits down in front of Violet. Violet watches the steam rise from the cup and takes in the strong smell.

"Thanks."

"Do you need sugar? Milk?"

"Um, I'll take some milk, please."

Violet loves how casual it is. How Clementine and Lee seem to comfortable with her here. She doesn't feel like she's intruding. Minerva's parents don't kick Violet out or offer for her to stay, but they surely don't welcome her. They say maybe three words to her during her stays. 

Violet could get used to this. It's much better than her own house. She barely knows Lee, but he seems like more of a father than her own. 

"I've invited Lilly over for dinner with Carley," Lee tells Clementine and she nods. "You're also invited to stay, Violet. Clementine and AJ love you."

"Thank you. I think I will." Violet nods her head.

"Oh, Ms. Caul?" Clementine asks, looking to confirm if it's her neighbor. 

"Yeah, you can call her Lilly. You know she doesn't care," Lee assures. "Are you girls doing anything today?"

"Actually, I said I would meet up with Sophie today. She's having a rough time," Clementine explains to Lee before looking to Violet. "You can stay here if you want. Sorry, Sophie wanted to talk in private, and I'm going to respect that."

"That's perfectly fine. Maybe I'll see Louis. I haven't spoken to him in a bit." Violet begins to fidget with her fingers.

"That's good. He's missed you," Clementine replies. "Don't be nervous."

"I don't know why, but I want some McDonalds," Lee adds to the conversation. 

"Breakfast food? Or do you want a burger at nine in the morning?" Clementine asks with an eyebrow raised.

"Either," he replies with a smile.

"What about you, Vi?"

"Chicken nuggets," she replies simply.

"At nine?"

"Any time of the day," she replies and Clementine chuckles.

"I guess we're going to McDonalds."

"What are you having?" Violet asks as they all stand up.

"Chicken nuggets," she answers sheepishly.

"And you looked at me like I was weird for wanting them two seconds ago."

"Whatever. I want chicken nuggets."

"Get AJ," Lee says as he pulls his keys out of his pocket. "And get dressed."

Clementine sits in the coffee shop, sipping her drink. She's pretty full from her ten piece just hours ago, but she's always down for some coffee. She keeps checking the time, waiting for her "friend". He's ten minutes late. He always seems to make her blood boil, even when he isn't there. She licks her lips and taps her foot against the tiled floor. 

She puts in her headphones, hoping to pass the time. As she turns on her phone, she also notices that he hasn't texted her about arriving late. Of course. So like him.

Ten minutes late becomes fifteen minutes. She's trying not to punch the table or him when he walks through the door.

Then, he finally makes an appearance. He's wearing that stupid red beanie that he believes makes him look "cool". Clementine almost rolls her eyes at the sight of him. They've barely seen each other since the breakup and seeing his face in person once again just makes her even more angrier. 

He puts on his classic "charming" smile. She doesn't even bother being polite and faking a small smile. She gives him a dead stare and doesn't say a word.

"Hey," he says, pulling out his chair.

"You're fifteen minutes late. I didn't expect anything less from you," she mutters, tapping her fingers against the table. 

"At least I showed up." 

"Yeah, I'm so happy to see your face again." She rolls her eyes. 

"You're so nice," he replies sarcastically. "Besides, you wanted to see me. You started texting me. So, do you want to get back together or something?” He leans in closer with a smirk on his face.

She gags at the thought of that. God, he's too overconfident. She misses when he was more awkward and kinder. He was an asshole, but way less of one compared to now. 

"Why would I want to get back together with someone who gives personal information to random people? And cheats on me?” She snaps and he leans back in his seat.

"What do you mean? What personal information? What?"

"You fucking told Minerva about...my past. The Frontier." She drops her voice to a whisper.

"No, I didn't. Where did you get that from?"

"Who else knows? Not even Louis knows about that. Only you, Javi, and the other members of the Frontier. And none of those people, besides you, would talk to Minerva, let alone spill that kind of information."

"I did not," Gabe snaps.

"How did she find out then?" Clementine raises her voice.

"Maybe she saw your brand," he whispers, pointing to her arm. 

"You know how well I hide it. I put bandages on it practically daily, wear long sleeve shirts and don't pull up the sleeves. Someone had to fucking tell her."

"Why did Minerva want to know this information anyway? Why does she care about you all of a sudden? Did you mess with her?"

"I didn't mess with her. She just started becoming interested in me." Clementine rubs her bandaged arm.

"Maybe she's part of the Frontier. You can ask my dad. Though honestly I don't know where he is. You must have connections though."

"She's not part of the Frontier."

Gabe tilts his head. "How do you know?"

"She's apart of another group, that's kinda enemies with the Frontier."

"Fuck. Are you safe? I could take Minerva, but I wouldn't want to mess with her. I also never loved the whole gangs thing."

"I know. You really didn't approve of it when we were dating," she mutters. "I'm safe for now. I just don't know what else Minerva knows, or if she'll tell other people. I could get in a shit ton of trouble, not just with the Frontier."

"Well, if anything gets out, tell my dad. He'll have your back."

"David never liked me."

"He's not heartless," Gabe argues. 

"I know he's not, but you know for a fact he's not the best person. You live with Javi for a reason."

Gabe huffs at that. He grabs her coffee, taking a sip out of it. She glares at him and he shrugs.

"You asked me to come. The least you can do is let me have a sip of your drink." He puts on a smile again. "Try not to worry about Minerva. If you stay on her good side, you'll be fine."

"What good side?" Clementine takes back her drink and rotates her hand around. 

"So..." Clementine raises her eyebrows, waiting for Gabe to say what he has to say. "Are you with that Louis guy?" He tries to make conversation, giving her a smile again.

She sighs at that, giving Gabe a look. "No, we're just friends."

"Anyone you're into?" Gabe asks, reaching out and holding her hand.

"Yes, she's a very pretty girl," Clementine answers with a big smile.

"You're a lesbian?" His voice cracks and he pulls his hand away.

"No," she replies with a roll of her eyes. "Though you made me want to become a lesbian, if that were possible."

"I guess this is my queue to apologize."

"I don't care, Gabe. I’ve heard enough from you about that. I'm just trying to figure out who told Minerva and what else they told her."

"Clem, I'm here for you. Javi is too." 

Clementine gives him a genuine smile, the first one she's give him in ages. It's a small smile, but it means a lot. Sometimes, in the right moments, he's not an asshole.

"How are Javi and Jesus?" She asks, continuing to smile. 

"Good," he replies, looking a little uncomfortable. "They flirt. A lot. It's kinda cringey."

"Well, they're a couple, aren't they?"

"True, but still. Gross." He fake gags. 

"Well, I think I should go." She turns on her phone, checking the time. 

"Hey, Clem. Even if I've been an asshole, I uh, don't want you hurt or anything. I'm sorry for cheating, and you can always talk to me if you need help with this situation."

She nods her head. "Thank you." 

She knows he doesn't regret cheating. He was still with that girl up to a few months ago. Maybe he does now that he lost her. She does appreciate his support in this situation, though she doubts she'll need it any further. Not unless she needs to talk to Javi or David.

"See you later." He waves awkwardly and she gives a small wave back.

"Bye,” she says, not wanting to see him, unless she’s forced to.

"Don't apologize. Don't worry about anything," Louis insists, smiling at Violet. "Let's just talk about good things."

"Like what?" Violet asks, noticing his excitement. 

"I started dating this boy, James."

"The new kid?" Violet asks with a smile.

"Yeah, him."

"That's amazing," Violet replies and hugs him tightly. "I'm so happy you're happy."

He chuckles. "Thanks."

"I think something great is happening to me, too."

"And what's that?"

Violet smiles. And it's genuine. Being away from Minerva, away from her issues, away from her parents. Violet has realized she's much better off without them.

"I'm done with Minerva." Her voice is quiet and shaky when she says it. She's sure, but at the same time she's unsure.

She's so terrified of being alone, leaving the girl that's always been with her. But she's also realized, Minerva isn't the one who's always been there. It's everyone else: Louis, Brody, Marlon, Mitch, Sophie, Aasim, Ruby.

She watches as Louis's eyes widen and there seems to be a shimmer in his eyes. His mouth drops and then quickly curves into a smile. 

"I'm so proud, Vi. I'm so happy." He hugs her tightly again.

"Minerva still has my clothes though."

"Shush. I'll buy you a whole closet."

"No, you will not."

"Fine, I'll ask Soph to get your clothes."


	13. Chapter 13

"So, Lee says you have a new friend that's been coming over?" Carley asks, taking a seat on the couch next to Clementine. 

"Yeah, her name's Violet."

"That's a pretty name," Carley replies.

"She's coming over for dinner and she's staying the night," Lee adds, almost yelling, from the kitchen. 

He's making spaghetti and meatballs. He didn't really know what to cook. Clementine gave him the suggestion and he went with it. 

"That's nice. I'm getting to meet her," Carley replies and Clementine nods. 

"You'll like her," Clementine assures and Carley smiles at that.

"Lilly is also joining us," Lee adds as he walks into the living room. 

"Caul?"

"Yeah, our neighbor," Lee replies. "Are you okay with that?"

"I am, I am," Carley assures. "You know she doesn't like me."

"It'll be okay. You just got tired of her bullshit and called her out. As long as we keep the topic off her father, we should be alright."

"Isn't the anniversary of his death coming up?" Clementine asks and Lee nods.

"That's exactly why I'm inviting her over. Besides, it can't hurt getting on her good side before you move in, you know?"

"You're moving in?" Clementine looks over to AJ who's stopped his coloring.

He sits up from his position on the floor and smiles brightly at this announcement.

"Lee, we were going to announce that later." She lightly smacks his arm and nods her head. "Are you kids okay with having me?"

"Of course," Clementine replies with a wide smile. 

"Yeah!" AJ stands up and gives her a hug.

"Thank you so much," Carley says, tearing up a little. "You are the sweetest kids."

Lee brushes his fingers through her straightened hair. He kisses her head and smiles.

"They are," he agrees.

The doorbell rings and Carley slightly loses her smile. She hopes it's not Lilly. Not yet. 

"I'll get it," Clementine says, waving Lee off. 

She hopes it's Violet. Ever since she's seen her ex, she's been longing to see Violet's face. She just wants to be around her and build her up. She hasn't known her for long, but she wants the best for her. For them. Maybe there can be a them She wants Minerva out of their lives. 

Due to these thoughts, before opening the door, Clementine is already blushing. She opens the door and is greeted with a smiling Violet.

"Did you have a good time with Louis?" 

"Yeah, I really did," Violet replies as she slips off her shoes. "Did he tell you about James?"

"Are they finally together?" Clementine asks eagerly.

"You knew?" Clementine nods. "Actually, yeah. That makes sense. I was busy with my own problems."

"Don't feel guilty about it," Clementine assures. "By the way, we have a guest. She's someone I want you to meet."

"Oh," Violet says as they walk in the living room. 

"Hello. My name's Carley." She holds out a hand and Violet shakes it. "Violet, right? I've heard a bit about you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

Carley holds back a smirk, noticing how happy Clementine seems. She seems much happier than she did with Gabe and that flush on her cheeks says something. Carley wonders if Lee's picked up on it. She then doubts it. Lee would've mentioned it in a call, or maybe not. For Clementine's privacy.

"Violet and I will be upstairs," Clementine says as AJ pouts.

"Can Violet color with me?"

"Later, bud," Violet promises, giving him a small wave. 

"'Kay." He takes out an extra sheet of paper and places it next to his. 

They walk into Clementine's room and Violet shuts the door. She wears a shy smile as she stands up against the door. Clementine sits on the floor and looks up at her.

"Sit on the floor," Clementine says, tapping the floor next to her. 

Violet sits down next to her and continues to smile, making Clementine raise an eyebrow.

"I've decided," Violet begins, her voice quiet. She then raises it a little bit, showing more confidence. "I'm done with Minerva."

Clementine immediately wraps her arms around the girl, giving her all the support she can. Violet hugs back, feeling more comfortable with Clementine.

"I'm so happy for you. You'll do great."

They stare into each other's eyes for a moment. Both their eyes are bright, crinkled from their genuine smiles. The bags under Violet's eyes are less apparent, a light purple instead of an almost dark blue. She looks more healthy and hopeful. 

Violet admires the way Clementine's curls almost seem to perfectly shape her face. She admires her curls and the shade of her hair, how different it is from hers. 

Clementine then looks down, becoming a little flushed. She promises silently to herself, she'll support the blonde in any way she can. 

The two sit in comfortable silence. Clementine decides to put on some Radiohead. She places her phone next to her on the floor. They don't have to talk. They can just listen to music and enjoy the moment, enjoy each other.

Violet's eyes look around the room and she notices the pictures of her are already on the wall, pinned on the board. She smiles to herself. Minerva never took that much pride in her. Maybe in the beginning, with the PDA, but after a while, she didn't keep pictures of Violet. Maybe a few, but not as her background or in the open. She would reject little things, like going to the movies or seeing the stars. 

"Are you happy?" Clementine asks as "Creep" plays in the background. 

"I am," Violet replies. "Thank you. You and Louis make me the happiest. I compared how happy I was with Minerva to how happy I was with you guys, and they just didn't compare. I'm much better off with you guys."

"Don't thank us. You decided on your own to leave her. This was your decision. You're stronger than you think, Vi." 

Violet chuckles. "Okay. Enough with the cheesy shit." Violet places her hands on her cheeks feeling how warm they are.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"I don't know. Wanna just listen to Radiohead?"

"I'm fine with that."

Clementine lays her head in Violet's lap (her crossed legs) and the rest of her body rests on the cold hardwood floor. Violet leans back against Clementine's bed and just breathes. 

In and out.

She lets the smell of Clementine's room fill her nose, the feel of Clementine's curls against her finger tips, the sound of Radiohead and Clementine's breathing overtake her. Her lips continue to curl into a smile and then they fall. Her face relaxes and she unclenches her jaw which she didn't know was clenched. Her shoulders fall and her fingers start to move, playing with her friend's hair. 

This is what bliss is. This is what happiness is. Violet's happy she can finally experience it. She wonders what she can do to make Clementine's night. 

An idea pops in her head.

"Hey, Clem. Is it possible to hang out on your roof?"

"Yeah, the garage is next to my room, so we can sit on top of it. Do you want to go now?" Clementine opens up her eyes.

"No, we can go tonight. After dinner." 

"Okay. After dinner," Clementine repeats with a smile.

"Karma Police" plays in the background and Clementine hums. She also quietly sings, "This is what you get..." a few times in unison to the song. 

"What other bands do you like?" Violet asks and they lock eyes again.

"Hmm." She shire her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Pearl Jam, The 1975, Metallica, Panic! at The Disco," she lists off a few names.

"Yeah, I like those too."

"What about you?" Clementine repeats the question back.

"Same stuff, except I also like Tame Impala and Gorillaz."

"Do you really like music? Or do you just sometimes listen to it?" Clementine asks and Violet lets out a sigh, continuing to play with Clementine's hair.

"I love it. I love listening and losing myself in it. I love singing along and I love just tuning out the world. Tuning out my parents and my problems." 

Clementine frowns at that, wondering what Violet's been through. She knows it hasn't been easy, at least. She rests one of her hands on Violet's, giving the blonde her support. The hand stops moving and Violet's lips curve slightly into a small smile. 

"I also like to tune out the world and forget about my problems," she tells Violet. 

The New Frontier brand flashes through her mind and she bites her lip at the thought. Her parent's faces on the news, seen through blurry eyes as tears run down her cheeks. Clementine almost gets chills at those thoughts.

"I love music, too," Clementine adds. "Maybe you could play your guitar for me. Even though you've said you aren't good, I'm sure it would be beautiful."

Violet remembers when she would practice in front of Minerva, how nervous she would get. She would tell Minerva would get annoyed, the little mistakes Violet made when she played Minerva's songs.

Clementine would be different. She won't judge. Violet nods at the thought, not promising to do so, but hopeful to someday. 

"I could take a nap right now," Clementine says, shutting her eyes again.

"So, take one. You can use my legs as a pillow." Clementine chuckles at that.

"Thanks, I will."

The doorbell rings, signaling Lilly's arrival. Clementine pouts and Violet looks to the door.

"Should we get up?" Violet asks and Clementine shakes her head.

"No, let's go when dinner's ready." Clementine shuts her eyes a little tighter. "I'm lazy today."

"I'm fine with that. Nap."

Clementine focuses on her breathing and her heavy eyes. She listens to the music and the feel of Violet's body heat on her head. She hears the quiet sound of Violet's breathing. As she focuses on all of these things, her breathing slows. Her eyes are shut a little less tightly and her stress seems to fall away. 

Violet studies Clementine's face, her curls falling around her. Her eyelashes are long, with a little bit of mascara on them, Violet notices. She looks so peaceful. Violet loves the calming feeling of just being near her. She's always loved holding things close, like Louis's childhood dog he had a few years ago, or Minerva, when they were a thing. When things were okay between them. 

Violet feels her own eyes become a little heavy. She slept well last night, but she guesses she just has a bunch of stress and fatigue in general. It's catching up on her. She lets out one big breath and closes her eyes. Even if she doesn't sleep, she can enjoy the moment and just be calm. She can enjoy the quiet she needs every once in a while, even if it isn't completely quiet. It's still much better than the chaos at her parent's trailer.

Lilly remembers Minerva's words, how she paid to get information about this family for some reason. About Clementine, once again. It's strange for someone below Lilly to request something of her, but since Minerva was doing a job and Lilly could keep said job's profit, she didn't complain. 

There is a small part of her regretting this. Minerva is no longer the scared young girl she once was. Lilly has turned her —along with many others— into a strong woman. A woman who fights the world to get she wants. She deserves it. After all the trauma she's went through, all the jobs she's taken, she deserves happiness. She must take it.

Lilly worries for Clementine and her family. Maybe Minerva will finds happiness in its destruction. Lilly hopes she can prevent it, but it'll be hard to go against a fellow member of the Delta.

It also hurts to know that Clementine, the girl she's watched grow, may be hurt by Minerva, who Lilly must call "family".

"How's your coffee?" Lee asks her after she's taken a few sips.

"Great, thank you," she simply replies. 

"Thank you coming over. We enjoy the company," Lee says and she nods her head.

"Thank you for inviting me. It hasn't been easy lately," she says simply, not wishing to go further.

"The anniversary?" Carley questions, sitting at the head of the table, next to Lilly.

"Yes, the anniversary. It's never easy. You know, visiting him and Mom's graves." 

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. It was a few years ago, but I shouldn't have said those things. You were going through a rough time—"

"No, it wasn't okay for me to just start arguments because I was hurting," Lilly says, but she doesn't apologize. 

She doesn't feel guilty for doing so. She's never said so and she never will, but she had feelings for Lee. Even if she doesn't now, she's still jealous. Carley gets to be happy, to watch those kids grow, to not be wrapped up in situations like the one she in now. 

"I'll go call the girls and AJ for dinner."

"Girls?" Lilly questions.

"Oh, Clem has a friend over. Her name's Violet," Carley explains, moving one of her hands as she speaks.

Lilly nods her head in understanding. She had heard of a Violet before. Her eyes widen slightly at the realization. Violet is or was important to Minerva. She almost groans aloud at the realization. 

What teenage drama was she getting into? And why was Minerva digging for dirt on Clementine? Especially dirt this bad. Dirt that gets Clementine and possibly even Minerva in jail.

The two girls entered the room. A blonde girl, around two inches taller than Clementine, and Clementine herself. AJ walks in behind them, but doesn't say anything since he's already greeted Lilly.

"Hi, Ms. Caul." Clementine waves and sits next to her.

"Just call me Lilly. You've known me like half your life." Lilly waves her off. "And is this Violet?"

Violet then takes the other head of the table, next to Clementine. She nods her head.

"Um, hi. Yeah, I'm Violet. Nice to meet you, Ms. Caul."

"You can me Lilly," she assures, using a gentle voice. 

"I made spaghetti and meatballs," Lee says as he brings over everything.

"A classic," Carley says with a smile. She stands up to help him, but he shakes his head.

"Yes!" AJ cheers and Violet smiles. "Violet, will you color with me after dinner?"

She looks to Clementine who nods. "Yeah, sure, little man."

Throughout dinner, they make small talk. College is mentioned and stress becomes clear on the teenagers' faces, making the topic quickly change. They discuss school and classes instead, not talking about the bigger picture. The adults discuss work and then hobbies are discussed. Violet reveals to everyone else her love for archery and Lee asks for her to teach him, which she awkwardly agrees to. It's the least she can do after all he's done for her, giving her food and a place to sleep. A place she's happy to sleep in; it's more than her parents have given her. They also enjoy their food and compliment the chef, who is happy to accept such compliments. 

Then, it's time for dessert. Lee bought vanilla and chocolate ice cream, along with a bunch of toppings. He also bought a small cheesecake, Carley's favorite. Everyone has a slice of cheesecake and everyone in high school and under also have some ice cream. Violet takes chocolate, Clementine has vanilla and a little bit of chocolate, and AJ has a bunch of both. Lee almost scolds him for the amount he took and the amount of toppings he put on it. He doesn't though. His facial expressions make it clear and that's enough to make Clementine and Carley laugh, noticing his discomfort.

Once dessert is finished, the adults stay in the kitchen, and the others go up to Clementine's room.

"You can stay for thirty minutes and then you should take a shower and get ready for bed," Clementine says and he rolls his eyes.

"Okay," he agrees.

Violet pouts at that and Clementine rolls her eyes. "Don't give me that look, Vi. Lee wouldn't be happy with you if you interrupted AJ's schedule."

"Are you going to color, Clem?" AJ asks and she shakes her head.

"I'm gonna sit at my desk." She smirks. She just needs the right time.

AJ proudly takes out his set out markers and his big package of crayons. Violet compliments it, only having seen it in school. Her parents would've never bought such a thing, even if it was to keep her distracted. He hands her two sheets of paper. They draw for a few minutes before AJ just watches Violet draw. She doesn't say a word. She just creates. She draws guitars, foxes, dogs, trees, plants and a little mini drawing of AJ. 

It's been around twenty minutes and AJ has only gotten a few flowers and some stick figures on his paper. His jaw drops and he giggles at the picture of himself. 

"Try to draw me and I'll draw you again," Violet suggests and he nods his head excitedly.

About two seconds later, they see the flash of a camera. They then look up at Clementine.

"Perfect," she says, sounding pleased with herself. "I just wanted to capture the moment," she justifies.

"Please delete it. I look—"

"Beautiful. You look beautiful." Violet just keeps quiet at that, not wanting to ruin the moment or spoil Clementine's happiness.

"Ugh. I ran out of paper," AJ complains.

"Alright. We should call it a night then," Clementine suggests as she begins to put her camera away.

"Okay," AJ says, disappointment clear in his voice.

"Here." Violet hands him her drawings.

"You sure?" He asks.

"Mhmm."

"Thanks, Violet!" He says happily as he stacks all his papers together.

The three then clean up the small mess of crayons and markers, placing them where they should go. The two say goodnight to AJ and close the door.

"Time for the roof?"

"Let's do it after the adults say goodnight," Clementine says and Violet shrugs.

"Okay." She smiles.

She's only ever sat and looked at the stars alone. Now, she can look with Clementine, one of her newest, yet most caring friends.

Clementine eagerly opens her window. Sometimes she does this in the spring, just to feel a nice breeze. She's only been on her roof once with Louis, and that one instance made her not trust to go out there with him again. Violet stands behind her also excited to see a perfect view of the stars.

The two climb out together and take seats near the window. They sit close together, shoulders bumping.

"Look at the stars." Violet points to the sky and Clementine smiles.

"It's so pretty. The moon is just about full," Clementine comments.

“Yeah.” Violet smiles.

“I wish I had some food. That would be so nice,” Clementine says, moving her legs a little.

“Next time,” Violet states and Clementine nods her head.

“Yeah, there’s one-hundred percent going to be a next time,” Clementine replies, leaning into Violet a bit more.

“I loved going out on Ericson’s roof. There was a ladder and if I went out at night, no one would catch me. It was really quiet. I could just stare at the sky and forget about everything. I didn’t have to think about school, my grades, or my problems,” Violet explains, though Clementine had not asked.

“Yeah, I understand that. Sometimes you just need a minute to forget and get into something else. That’s me with photography.” Their fingers aren’t too far apart. If Clementine just inched them a bit closer, they would touch. If she moved a bit more, she could hold her hand. 

“I do the same with archery. I have to focus to make it.” She rests her chin on Clementine’s head and Clementine smiles. She enjoys the warmth radiating from Violet’s body. “Same thing with drawing, though sometimes I used to get lost in thought.”

“What about guitar?”

“Yeah, sometimes I can play without thinking. My fingers just know, but to learn something new, I have to focus.” She moves her fingers, mimicking the movements.

“Thank you for sharing with me.”

“Huh?” 

“Thanks for just telling me with this stuff. It may not be super personal to you or anything, I just appreciate the fact you’re comfortable with me. I know you’ve been through a lot, and it can be tough to open up to another person, so I’m thankful you’re giving me a chance,” Clementine speaks from her heart, trying to look up Violet from where her head is placed. Her heart races as she nervously lets out the words. Even though she’s nervous, she still speaks clearly and pretty confidently.

Violet frowns and wraps an arm around the girl. She doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t really know what to think. Clementine, thanking her? What for? She doesn’t think these things are that important. They’re not worth a thank you.

“Thank you,” Violet says simply, a quiet whisper that makes Clementine smile widely. She pauses for a moment, trying to think of the words. There’s so much she could thank Clementine for. She can’t thank her enough. She continues, “For letting me stay with you, giving me a wonderful home, even though it’s temporary—it’s more of a home than my actual home. Thank you, Clementine, for being my friend and giving me confidence. You, you and Lou make me feel like I’m worth something. Like my parents are wrong about me.”

“They are,” Clementine says and she takes her chance. She takes Violet’s other hand and intertwines their fingers.

Her heart beats quickly. She wants to kiss this girl and wrap her arms so tightly around her. But that would be inappropriate. The girl’s going through a rough time. Maybe soon, when the summer ends, when all this Minerva shit is one hundred percent done. 

Violet blushes at the intimacy of it all. It’s so different from Minerva. They’ve had sex so many times, kissed so many times, hugged so many times, yet this feels so much more personal. She actually feels loved. Minerva—or anyone—hasn’t made her feel that way in a long time. Of course, she’s shared so many personal things to Minerva, they are very similar after all, but this is so different.

The rest of their time out there is stayed in silence. The sounds of cars are like music, playing occasionally in the background. They breathe in each other’s scents and the smell of the summer night. They enjoy each other’s warmth and hold each other close. 

Eventually, their eyes start to get heavy and they decide to go inside. They both feel like something is ripped from them when they take showers and separate into their rooms. 

Clementine hopes that someday they can share a bed, spend the night together. She just wants to hold her close and give Violet all the love she deserves.

She smiles as she goes to bed, all the memories replaying through her mind. 

Until, she gets a text.

Minerva: Hey Clementine Hutchison. Enjoying the night? And my girlfriend?

Clementine’s stomach drops. How does she know her original last name? Her stomach twists and she shuts off her phone for the night.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”


	14. Chapter 14

FLASHBACKS

"My parents...my parents say I'm nothing," Minerva told Lilly, meeting her eyes. "They beat me, send me away to a school, try to get rid of me,” she describes simply.

"Well, Minerva, no one here is nothing. We all are something, we make up the Delta." Lilly placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "And you're now a member of the Delta.”

"Yeah," Minerva croaked, rubbing away the tears forming in her eyes.

"What's something or someone that makes you happy?" 

"Violet," Minerva whispered, picturing the blonde in her mind. Her blue eyes then move to the floor, feeling her cheeks heat.

Would Lilly approve of this? Her parents surely didn’t. Neither did her grandparents.

"So, your first job as a Delta member is to learn to take. Channel all of that anger and take. After all your trauma, all your pain, you deserve some happiness, don't you?" Lilly asked her and Minerva nodded her head.

"I guess I do."

"You do."

Minerva waited in the park. She put on some makeup and covered the bruises. She told Lilly beforehand, telling her first job would be complete today. Minerva fidgeted with her hands. 

Would Violet say yes? She hoped so. God, she hoped so.

Violet walked in the park, wearing her usual causal clothing. She looked up at Minerva and immediately smiled at the sight of her.

"Hi, Minnie," she greeted her quietly with that beautiful voice of hers.

"Hey," Minnie replied. "Okay, so, Vi. I have to talk to you. I'm just going to talk. Can you listen?"

"Of course, Minnie."

Minnie took a deep breath and tried to think of the words. "I think you're beautiful. Your body, your face, your mind, your everything. I'm happy I found someone that actually understands me. Sophie...we live in the same house, we have the same parents, but she just doesn't understand. Violet, I-I think I have feelings for you."

Violet's cheeks went bright red and she almost jumped at those words. She then nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Minerva.

"I like you, too."

"You chose this, Minerva!" The cold voice hit her ears and made her head ache. "You chose to be strong! To take control of your life! To get what you deserve! I've taught you to take! So, do this job, and take!" 

The other redhead cried in the corner, watching as her sister was yelled at. Her face was pale and tear streaks cover her cheeks down to her chin. Sophie never wanted this. She wanted to keep her sister safe, but she failed.

"Violet! We got you, Violet! We taught you how to pick locks, how to use a gun, how to fight! We gave you everything, Minerva! So, don't you dare refuse this job. This is your next step. You need to progress, Minerva."

Minerva just nodded her head. Lilly was right. Without this group, she would be nothing. She would have nothing. She wouldn't know how to fight back. 

"What do you say? Answer me, Minerva!" Lilly pulled Minerva up by her hair, making the girl wince and her face contort. "Are you going to do this job?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied, her voice hoarse.

"Good, Minerva. Then, you and your sister can stay with us." Lilly laid her down on the floor and then walked away.

"You're going away for a week?" Sophie asked with a shaky voice.

Minerva rubbed her sore scalp and spat the blood from her mouth. "I have to."

"I-I want to leave," Sophie whimpered as she walks over to her sister. 

"So do it. Just go."

"But what about you?"

Sophie reached her hand out to her sister, to have a look at her injured face. Minerva jerked away and gave the teenager a glare.

"I'm capable. You've seen just half of what I've done. Maybe you're not made for this, but I am." She shot a glare at her sister who almost flinches just at her sister's gaze.

"You're not," Sophie's voice cracked as she speaks. "You shouldn't be here."

"Oh, shut up, Sophie. Just because your perfect ass can't handle this doesn't mean mine can't. Stop acting like I'm just like you." She pushed her sister away, making the girl fall to the floor. Sophie looked up at her, feeling her heart break in her chest.

"F-Fine." Sophie stood up and stomped out of the room. 

Minerva sat in her room, hunched over in her bed. Her fingers were in her hair and her jaw was clenched tightly. 

She felt so confused. She didn't know how she felt about anything. About this group. About Violet. All she knew was that she couldn't leave either of them. She wouldn't let Violet leave her, and she surely will not leave that group. She wouldn’t flake like Sophie. She wouldn’t flake like her parents. 

She would be happy. She would be worth something. She would get what she wants. Her band would be amazing. Her relationship would be amazing. She would be better than Sophie, better than what her family thought.

She tried so hard to be happy, she had worked for it. But it just wasn’t there. She was losing her feelings for Violet. She had been for a long time, but she continued to fear change. She didn’t want to lose her. She could not lose her. She refused to. 

The years of trauma and being a member of the Delta were making Minerva crumble. Tears fell from her eyes. She was not happy. She didn’t truly love Violet, but she wanted her in her life. She wanted to be different, to be apart of the Delta, to be in her band, and to be happy. All she wanted was happiness. According to Lilly, the woman who beat her down and made her witness disgusting things, she had to get what she wanted. She had to work for it.

So she would. 

She wanted these simple things.

Until, she saw Clementine. 

God, Clementine confused Minerva. She was completely different from Violet. She was quiet for the most part, like Violet, but more outgoing. She looked so different from Violet; her curls compared to Violet’s straight hair, brown to blonde, hazel eyes to green. 

And then that moment when Clementine became way more interesting. She had to find out more about her. So, she did. Damn. Minerva was surprised. Clementine was like her in many ways. In a time of desperation, she turned to a group, which would change her. She lost her parents as a child; she had a lot of trauma, like Minerva did.

Then, she met up with Clementine. And she snapped at Minerva. The way her face contorted and the way she fought. She had no fear. She was beautiful. Stunning. Minerva wanted her so bad. She wanted to see what she could do. She wondered what it would he like if Clementine was hers.

And then Clementine continued to be who she is, and started to taking Violet away from her. And that’s when she realized she had to stop her. Even though she wanted both the blonde and the brunette. 

She hoped this tension would be temporary. So, she could have both her girls. She would work for it.

Then, the blood on her hands would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry the chapter is so short. i think it’s just right to place it on its own. i hope you guys enjoyed a little peak into minerva’s past and in her head.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for how short this is. i just haven't been too inspired lately and i wanted to get an update out. i'm sorry if updates continue to be farther apart with school and everything. thank you so much for the support. see you in the next one and i hope you enjoy this chapter!

Clementine looks at herself in the mirror, frustration and fatigue written all over her features. Dark circles sit under her eyes, her eyebrows are angled downward, her hair is messy, but she doesn't care about that. 

She's fuming. All her thoughts revolve around that goddamn redhead. The redhead that has torn down Violet time and time again, and now is after her. 

How the hell does she know about her old last name? Does she know about her parents? It was on the news, but no one except a few adults truly remembered the event. 

Minerva is blackmailing her. She wonders if the same thing is happening to Violet, if Violet knows about Clementine's situation. She doubts it, but maybe she knows some of Clementine's past. 

This is infuriating. Clementine's breathing is heavy and she really wants to punch something. She breathes out a sigh, trying to calm down. She's so tired of this. The past is in the past, until someone tries to bring it back. 

She wants better for herself. Better for Violet. She doesn't want Violet going back to this bitch. She wants to confess so bad and be a million times better than Minerva.

And the more Minerva bothers her, the more she wants to push past her and start something new. A relationship with Violet. She wants them to be happy. Together. Free from Minerva. 

Clementine's heart races at the thought and the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. She smiles at the feeling. She wonders when she should act on it. Now's not the best time, but with Minerva around, will there ever be a "right" time? 

Clementine checks the time on her phone. It's 3:18 A.M. and she wants to talk to someone. She wonders if Louis is awake. Would it be rude to call him?

She decides to text him.

Clementine: hey can i talk to you about something???

A few seconds later, to her surprise, she gets a reply.

Louis: sure

Louis: you okay?

Clementine: can i call you?

A moment after sending the message, Louis rings her up. She accept the call and picks up the phone, pressing it to her ear. 

"Thanks for calling," she begins.

"Are you okay?" he repeats with his groggy voice full of worry.

"Kind of," she replies before pausing. "I need some advice."

"I don't know if I'm the right person for advice."

"Not always, but you're my best friend. I trust you with this," she says with a small smile. 

She walks out of the bathroom into her room. She shuts the door behind her and continues.

"I have feelings for Violet," she reveals and pauses.

"Fuck yeah," Louis cheers and she chuckles at that.

"It's been a rough time for Violet. With Minerva and all. And it's really recent, I know. But I was wondering if I should confess. Actually, I am confessing, I just don't know when," Clementine summarizes, moving her hand as she speaks.

"Hmmm."

"Yeah, I know." She bites her lip before speaking again. "Not the best timing."

"I think you should confess whenever. Then, you can give Violet the chance to think about it. I think she'll say yes, she really likes you, but she needs time," Louis explains and Clementine hums.

"Thanks, Lou."

"How do you feel?" Louis asks her.

"Nervous and kinda scared. I really care about Violet, but I'm also nervous about...what we talked about before."

"The 'telling everyone about your sexuality' thing?"

"Yup, that."

"Like I said before, Clem, your family loves you. Lee and AJ, I highly doubt they're going to care, or treat you any different," Louis says with a soft voice. "And if they have a problem with it, they'll have to deal with me and all of us." 

Clementine smiles at that, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Thank you," Clementine says and Louis chuckles.

"No problem."

"How's your family? Do they know about James?"

"Um, not yet. Though, I did talk to them about how they feel about gay and bisexual people..."

"And?" Clementine asks, on the edge of her seat. If they hurt Louis...

"They wouldn't be the happiest, but after being sent to Ericson's, and all the shit I did as a kid, that's the least of their worries."

"So, they're okay with it."

"They told me they'd have to get used to it. My mother seemed pretty supportive though. I think when they meet James and see how wonderful he is, they'll be perfectly okay with it."

"I'm so happy for you. I really hope so, Lou."

"Same to you."

"So, why were you up at three AM?"

"Nightmare," he replies before yawning. "Same with you?"

Clementine pauses. She should tell him. She should, but right now isn't the best time. She's already bothered him. 

"Yeah, I've been having trouble sleeping tonight," she admits.

"I'll let you go then. Just shut your eyes and breathe. Everything will be okay."

"Thanks. You do the same. I'll talk you tomorrow."

"Night, Clem."

"Night."

Clementine walks into the kitchen later than everyone else. She sees Violet is already sipping at some coffee, Lee is already out of the house and AJ plays some games on his tablet.

"Did you sleep okay?" Violet asks, noticing Clementine's ragged appearance.

She knows Violet will see through her excuses, but she still tries to shrug it off. She nods her head and makes some coffee.

"I just had a nightmare and it kept me up. I slept fine for the most part though," she lies, not netting Violet's eyes.

"If you need to rest up today, I have work, and I can probably stay at Lou's," Violet immediately offers.

"No, we love it when you stay here." Clementine turns around. "Please, stay. You're not bothering me at all." Clementine then pauses. "Unless you want to stay with Lou."

"I don't mind. I like staying with you more though," Violet admits. "I also don't want to have to hear about James the whole time I stay there," she jokes and rolls her eyes. 

"So, what time do you have work?" Clementine asks as she grabs her coffee.

"At ten, so I have to leave soon."

"Do you like working there?" Clementine asks and Violet tilts her head at the confusion.

"No, but it gets me money. It's not the worst," Violet responds. 

"Can I talk to you about something important tonight?" 

"Does it have to do with work?" Violet asks and Clementine shrugs.

"Kind of, but there's something else. And I need time to figure out the work thing. So, does tonight work?" 

"It does." Violet smirks at her.

"Then, I have a call to make." 

She takes out her phone and calls up her friend. She smiles to herself, having not spoken to him in a little while. 

She can already tell she's going to have a great day. She won't let Minerva or her own doubts disturb her.

"Hey, Duck," she says and Violet almost laughs at the name. 

She instead takes a deep breath and then tries to drink her coffee again. 

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. Nothing's going on, I promise," she says and Violet begins to wonder why Clementine needs to clear that up. Though none of that is her business. "I was wondering if I could talk to Kenny. Is he around?" Again, Violet is confused. "Yeah, I want to take him up on an offer." She then looks to Violet. "I also have a friend that may also want to work there."

Violet smiles at that. Clementine really does go above and beyond for her. Her heart swells. She's perfect.

"Thank you," Violet whispers and Clementine smiles widely back.

"Is twelve good? And can I bring AJ? You guys haven't seen him in a while." Clementine then scoffs. "No, just AJ. Not Gabe or Louis." 

Violet almost laughs at that, instead she chuckles into her palm. 

"I know. You like Louis; Kenny just gets annoyed by him. Well, I promise to bring just AJ." She pauses, listening to his reply. "See you guys then."

"I have to leave for work, but I think I'll take you up on your offer already." Violet stands up with a smile on her face.

"You don't even know the job yet, or if Kenny'll agree to it."

"I don't care. If you're going this far for me, I'll take it. And you're also working there, right? Another plus." Violet blushes a little at her words, but she completely agrees with them. 

Clementine laughs and nods her head. "See you tonight."

"I can't wait," Violet says with a blush on her cheeks and ears.

Clementine's eyes widen at the comment, not expecting Violet to be so forward. Maybe she feels the same way...or maybe Clementine is looking too much into this?

Once Violet is out the door, Clementine sends two text messages.

Clementine: you don't scare me minerva

She then proceeds to block her, though she's sure Minerva will find another way to contact her. 

She then texts Louis.

Clementine: i'm telling violet tonight. i have to get it out of my system!

A few minutes later, Louis replies.

Louis: fuck ya

Louis: tell me how it goes clem

Clementine: i will :)


	16. Chapter 16

FLASHBACK

Clementine sobbed into Gabe's shoulder, shivering as he rubbed her back. Javi and Jesus looked at each other nervously. David was nowhere to be found. The girl wasn't speaking in coherent sentences. 

Luke was standing off to the back, right behind Clementine, who sat on a couch with Gabe. Luke felt so lost and terrified. He had never seen the girl cry in his life, and in that moment, she was breaking down. It left his stomach flipping and his heart racing. Was her father dying? Her brother? Her boyfriend?

"Are you sure want him in the room?" Javi motioned towards Luke.

"He d-deserves to know. I-I-I don't want him to worry, even t-though..." she drifted off and Jesus nodded his head.

"Even though you may worry even more than you already are," Jesus finished her thought, making it clear that it was a warning with his grim expression.

"I'll stay. I'm here for you, Clem. It can't be that bad," he slowed down his speaking when he saw all of them shake their heads at that.

"Clem, you take a minute to calm down," Javi suggested and then he glanced to Luke. "I have a few questions for you, just to try see what you know already."

"Okay."

"Do you know about The New Frontier?" Javi asked, holding eye contact with the man.

Clementine's sobbing slowed and she let go of Gabe, wiping away the last of her tears. 

"I think so. They mark people, right?"

"Yes."

"Don't tell me...they messed with Clementine?" His mouth dropped and Clementine shook her head.

Her stomach churned and she felt disgusted with her.

"I messed with them," she admitted, avoiding Luke's gaze.

"What?" Luke squinted at her. He couldn't believe his ears.

She proceeded to take off her sweatshirt, revealing an undershirt. She wore bandages on her arm, which she proceeded to unravel. Her mark was revealed, the symbol of this group engraved on her skin. Luke almost threw up at the sight. 

"What does that mean? What are you telling me?" Luke looked back at the men in the room, searching their faces for an answer. "Who did this to you, Clem?"

"You okay to speak, kid?" Jesus asked, ignoring Luke's floundering. 

"I'm okay." She nodded her head. "I was desperate and they were there for me. I'm uh, one of them, Luke."

"Clementine, I'm here for you. We're all here for you. Why the fuck would you do that to yourself, Clem?" He raised his voice.

"I didn't want to owe anybody! I was scared and worried for Lee. I did what I did was best! Obviously, it's not the best thing ever. I've committed crimes, seen things I shouldn't have—"

"Why do you continue to stay with them?" He questioned her.

"Stop yelling at her," Javi ordered, lifting up his hand.

"How can I not? How the fuck are you okay with this?"

"I'm not, but I don't control her. She decided to continue to be with them, so I do my best to be there for her."

"Now, why were you sobbing? What's the issue?" Luke questioned, not caring for Javi's answer. How could Javi let her do this? Let her continue to do this?

"I-I...I can't say it. I can't." Tears started to fill her eyes. 

"Say it. You can't make me think any worse of you."

"Get. Out," Javi snapped, pointing to the exit of the living room. "She struggles. Joined them because she was out her worse. Terrified her father would lose everything. She didn't want to rely on anyone, and she didn't want to lose her brother or father. So don't you dare say shit about her. You wouldn't understand.

"You couldn't understand how manipulative that group is. You couldn't understand what Clementine is going through. She feels guilty enough. So don't fucking make her feel worse."

"What he said," Gabe added, making Luke want to roll his eyes. 

"I'm sorry. Just fucking tell me what's going on," he begged, just wanting this to be open. To wake up from his dream. How could Clementine be involved in a gang?

"I'm sorry," Clementine whimpered, shaking her head.

"It's okay," Jesus assured, his heart aching for her.

"You can tell me, Clem," Luke assured and she nodded her head.

"I killed someone."

Clementine walks into Kenny's shop, a huge smile on her face. AJ dashes in, lightly pushing past her, toward the counter. He looks up excitedly, giggling when he sees Duck.

"Duck!" he shouts excitedly as the teenager smiles down at him.

"Hey," he greets and then smiles at Clementine. "Nice to see you two."

"Can we go into the back room?" Clementine asks and Duck nods.

They all walk in together and immediately, Clementine wraps her arms around Duck. He smiles and pulls her close. 

"Join the hug, lil' dude," Duck invites AJ, motioning with one of his hands. 

They all hug before pulling away. Clementine sighs, feeling at home, back here again.

"Where's Kenny?" Clementine asks, glancing around.

"In the bathroom. Also, we have other people joining us."

"What 'other people'?" She quirks an eyebrow and Duck smirks.

"You'll have to find out, Clem." He places his hands on his hips. 

"Why are you so annoying?" She groans, pouting at him as she sits at the small table.

"Why are you so annoying?" he mimics her and sticks out his tongue. AJ laughs and covers his mouth. 

"I'll put bugs under your pillow," she threatens, smirking.

"Don't you dare."

"I would and I have." He gags at the mention of those times and she giggles. "Seriously, I miss our sleepovers. Or at least hanging out."

"I do, too. But I'm sure working here will help with that, Clem."

Kenny barges in and immediately breaks out into a smile.

"Hey, Clem," he says with a gentle voice, much different from the teasing tone he always uses with Duck.

She immediately hugs him, breathing in the strong smell of his cologne and pizza sauce. Then, AJ runs into his arms and Kenny picks up, before groaning.

"Oof, you're getting heavy, kiddo. Don't you go growing up on me, too."

"I never really grew up on you, Kenny. Look how short I am." She motions to Duck, an inch taller than his dad. Duck smiles proudly at that. 

"Still. You two are seniors," he says, frowning at the mention. "At least you plan to work here for your last year here."

"I'm staying nearby for college, Kenny. I'll visit all the time."

"Good, I'll hold you to that, Clem."

"Okay. I want to talk about my friend working here," Clementine says and Kenny raises his eyebrows.

"This better not be that tall kid with the dreads. Fuck, no." AJ scoffs at the swear, making Kenny mutter an apology under his breath. "And no boyfriends either."

"You sound like Lee," she replies. "And my friend's a girl."

"Is she a nice, hardworking girl? Is she worth my time? Is she worth yours?"

"Yes, she's worth every second. She's very hardworking and tough. I think you'll like her a lot."

"Alright. I'll give her a chance. She just needs to meet me and apply," Kenny replies and Clementine nods. "Now, what about you?"

"Can I please work here? I think this'll be a great first job," she says and Kenny nods.

"Of course, hon. But you have to work hard, but I trust that you will."

"I will."

"Okay, then you're hired. We'll figure everything out later, along with your friend. Now, let's go and see if our guests are here."

AJ and Duck talk about some cartoon that Clementine doesn't know about. They all walk out of the room and Clementine sees someone walk to the door, holding a baby. She looks confusedly at the figure until they open the door. She notices Luke holding a baby, who looks about one, chewing on his fingers. 

"Hi, sorry I'm a little late. Milo's fussy," he says as the baby hums to himself.

"Is he yours?" Clementine asks, looking at the little blond baby. Luke nods. "And Jane's?"

"Yeah, but she's not in the picture. I'm lucky she even had him. She left immediately after she was all healed up. She was really scared of being a mother and messing up. I tried to convince her that it's okay to make mistakes and as long as she loved him, it'll be okay. She didn't listen and left." They all scoff at that. 

"Bitch," Kenny mutters. AJ doesn't have a reaction to his comment, somewhat agreeing, not knowing the meaning to the word, except that it's bad. 

"Does she visit?"

"She's visited four times, and every time she leaves either angry at me for wanting her to be in his life or in tears. I think the fourth time was the last time," Luke admits and Clementine pouts.

"Aww, poor baby. I'm sure you're a great father, and he's better off without her," Clementine comments, giving a little wave to the baby. Milo looks up to her curiously and pouts, unsure of this new person.

"You can hold him if you'd like, Clem. Just wash your hands. I'm so afraid of him getting sick again."

Clementine excitedly nods and goes to wash her hands. Luke then greets AJ and the child curiously looks up to the baby.

"Hi, Milo." AJ waves and Luke smiles at that.

The baby looks a lot like Luke, with blue eyes and Luke's hair. He has chubby cheeks and a huge smile, when he actually does smile. He has a resting pouty face, making him look upset or deep in thought most of the time. 

Clementine comes back, a huge smile on her face. Luke hands over the baby and assists Clementine just a little bit with holding his son. She holds him and he curiously looks up to her, his hand in his mouth.

"Hi, baby," she coos and he smiles a little bit at her. "Aww, you're so cute."

"Yeah, until he's fussy. He's a little less cute then," Luke jokes and Clementine chuckles. "Just kidding, kiddo." He smiles down at his son.

"I still can't believe you have a kid," Kenny says, shaking his head. 

"Neither can I. I'm so grateful for him though."

"Yeah, I can't believe I haven't seen you in a few years. Like two? At least before Jane was out of the picture."

"Good riddance," Kenny mutters and Duck lightly punches his dad's arm. 

"At least he has you," Clementine adds. 

"Yeah," Luke says and pauses, wanting to be done with this topic. "How's high school, you two?"

"Eh," Duck replies with a shrug.

"It has its ups and downs." Clementine shrugs. She rocks back and forth on her feet, looking at the child in her arms.

Luke nods his head at that. He wonders what the downs are; are they like this or is it because of the Frontier? He knows not to ask in front of everyone, but he can't help but be curious. He's watched her become the person she is today, watched her break down, watched her grow and flourish. He hopes that she's doing well, that's all that matters. 

"Clementine and her friend are going to start working here," Kenny announces, clapping his hands together. 

Milo looks over at him confusedly, with wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows, before sticking his fist in his mouth. 

"That's great. I'm proud of you, Clem." Luke pats her back.

"We have ten minutes before opening, so let's quickly catch up," Kenny suggests, looking around.

"Is there anything going on with you, Ken?" Luke asks and Kenny nods.

"Katjaa and I are getting a dog," he says happily, making Clementine giggle.

"Yeah, right when I decide to go away for college." Duck rolls his eyes, but doesn't bother holding back a smile. He's wanted a dog for as long as he can remember.

"Can I play with the dog?" AJ asks, his eyes lighting up and his face breaking into a smile. 

"Of course. You guys are welcome anytime," Kenny offers. "Here or our house. Katjaa would be so happy to see y'all."

"We should all plan something," Clementine says, nodding to all of them.

"Yeah," AJ adds.

"Yeah, but I'm not cooking," Duck adds.

"I'll be sure to come up with something. Katjaa, Duck and I will host," Kenny says.

"Well, AJ and I should get going. Good luck with work," Clementine says and then gives Milo over to Luke. "And good luck with him," she says to Luke.

"Thank you. Good luck to both of you," Luke says and when Clementine goes to grab AJ, he lightly grabs her shoulder. "Clem, you can tell me anything. If you're having...issues, you can come to me. If you have good news, you can tell me." 

"Yeah, let's catch up then." She smiles. "Another time, but soon."

"Sure."

They finish up their goodbyes, both teenagers hugging. AJ joins in once again and gets a high five from Kenny. Clementine hugs Kenny and then waves to the other two before walking out with her little brother.

Violet walks in the house, borrowing AJ’s key. She shuts the door quietly and slips off her shoes. She sighs and stretches, fatigued after a day of work. 

Clementine walks down the stairs with a smile, cheeks flushing at the sight of the blonde.

“So, how’d it go?” Violet asks as she begins her way up the stairs.

“Good. We just have to apply, discuss hours and all of that. He’s happy to be have you,” Clementine says and Violet immediately hugs her.

“Thank you so much, Clem! You’re too nice,” she says, her eyes bright and her smile meeting them, making them just a bit smaller. She then pulls away. “So, where are we working?”

“My friend Kenny’s pizza shop. My friend Duck, his son, also works there.”

“I heard that name before.” Violet chuckles. 

“Yeah, it’s a nickname that always stuck.”

“What’s his real name?”

“Ken Junior. He had a girlfriend call him KJ, but I always liked Duck better.”

“There’s something unique about it.” Violet chuckles. 

“So, how was work?”

“Boring,” Violet replies, letting out a sigh. 

“Our new job will be fun. Kenny, Duck and the few other people working there are nice. Most of the customers are also nice.”

“Rude customers are the worst,” Violet says, rolling her eyes.

“I can imagine.” Clementine sighs, wondering if now is the right time for that conversation. She purses her lips and folds her hands together. 

Violet notices the way her cheerful expression changes and immediately she reaches out. She lightly touches the teen’s arm.

“Are you alright? Did something happen?” Violet questions with a gentle voice.

“Can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure, do you want to go up to your room?” Clementine nods and they walk side by side.

Clementine sits on the edge of her bed, staring at her feet nervously. Violet sits on the floor in front of her, looking up to the teen with worry written all over her features.

“Okay, before I talk to you, I want you to know that this doesn’t have to change anything. We can forget about this or talk about it another time. I understand it’s not the best time. I also want to work side by side with you, and I don’t want that to change because of my feelings or yours.”

“Hey, Clem. If me staying over is bothering you—“ Clementine shakes her hand, motioning for Violet to stop speaking.

“No, no. None of us mind. We love you being here, me especially, Vi.” She smiles, though it doesn’t meet her hazel eyes. It’s hard to smile with how bad her nerves are. 

Violet doesn’t notice that though, she just notices how long Clementine’s eyelashes are with the mascara she’s wearing. Violet quickly escapes that thought. Inappropriate timing.

“I know things basically just ended Minerva and she’s still going to be around. This timing is terrible, but I’m just excited. I just want to be honest with you,” Clementine begins and Violet nods, unsure of what Clementine is getting at. 

“I have feelings for you. You’re beautiful, Violet. You’re so tough and amazing and smart. I’ve felt something since the day I first met you, when Louis introduced us. And then I got to know you better, and watch you grow, get away from Minerva. You’re so tough for that. 

“I don’t expect you to feel anything back. And I get it if it makes things weird temporarily. I just want you to keep it in the back of your mind. We can talk about this another time, but we don’t have to. I get it.”

Violet sits there in shock. Her eyes are wide and her heart is beating incredibly fast. She feel like she can’t breathe. She covers her mouth, trying to come up with the right words. 

“I’m sorry,” Clementine apologizes, wincing and sticking her nails into her palms, clenching her fist really hard. She hates the look on Violet’s face. It can’t mean anything good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha, left you guys on a cliffhanger!apologies for any mistakes. sorry if the updates slow down. my mental health isn't the best right now, honestly it depends on the day. i've had a few good days, but it doesn't last. i hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and see you in the next one!


End file.
